A Serendipitous Encounter
by SelfProclaimedFangirlKate
Summary: COMPLETE! Regina Mills is one of the leads on a dystopian TV series and attending New England Comic-Con with her cast. Emma Swan is a professional dancer preparing for her company's opening performance. When the two randomly meet over their mutual craving for caffeine and a 10-minute break in their schedules, a bond immediately forms. First of three fics in this series/verse.
1. Chapter 1: Cutting the Line

**_A/N: A few notes to kick this off. First, this is my first ever SQ fanfiction. Second, I usually write dialogue-driven fics because my comfort zone is more along the lines of writing scripts rather than stories. I'm trying to branch out a bit here, so any feedback would be great. Third, this is 100% fictional and based on the characters and the scenarios I created in my head, not on the actors. While I know the cast of OUAT appears at conventions like this all the time, I'm writing this based on the characters, not the actors portraying them or their IRL relationships. (E.g., Regina is truly Regina, not LP, etc.). Finally, yes there's established OQ in this (he's talked about, but not actually seen), but that will be explained in time and this fic is definitely SQ-centric. I plan to update once or twice per week, and anticipate this to be 5-6 chapters._**

* * *

Regina Mills tried to subtly glance at her watch while her co-star, Mary-Margaret Blanchard, answered a fan's question about what it was like to work alongside her real-life husband, David Nolan. Although Regina knew verbatim what Mary-Margaret's answer would be, as this question was asked every time they attended one of these events, she smiled genuinely as the pixie-haired brunette next to her politely responded to the question. Regina truly liked working with the couple, and their love for one another was evident to everyone on set, even before they announced that they were dating in the middle of season two. Now five years later, the pair was married with a toddler they named Neal. The show's writers, in an effort to keep things interesting during the show's seventh season, had broken up the couple's epic on-screen romance. Now, their two characters were enemies in their little dystopian frozen tundra, adding a fresh source of angst to the show that would extend into the upcoming eighth season.

If her watch was correct and the convention was keeping to the agenda, this panel would wrap up in three minutes and then she would have a much-needed half hour break before her next scheduled appearance. Regina really did enjoy these events and meeting the show's fans, but right now all she could think about was caffeine. She was seriously jet-lagged from her flight this morning from San Francisco that took off two hours later than scheduled due to fog, barely getting her to Portland, Maine in time for her first panel. Even without the exhaustion from traveling it had been a long week, and it was only Wednesday. Regina had spent the past five days with her best friends in Northern California for a wedding shower and bachelorette party, touring Napa Valley, drinking exquisite wine and eating some of the best food she had ever tasted. She loved spending time with the four women with whom she was closest – Mal, Kathryn, Ella, and Ursula – but the week was bittersweet and filled with untold drama. The five women were friends from college and had been through a lot together. However, since it was Kathryn's pre-wedding trip, there were also a dozen other guests Regina didn't know. She tried to stick close to her friends and keep a low-profile, but with _Frozen Mirror_ gaining more viewers with each season, especially now that new fans could binge it on Netflix and catch up, her attempt at normalcy was feeble at best. When she wasn't being asked by one of Kathryn's coworkers when her character would finally resolve her current love triangle, a random winery patron would ask for her autograph and a selfie. She always graciously obliged, but sometimes she craved just a little bit of anonymity. She wouldn't be getting that anytime soon with the New England Comic-Con now underway. She was scheduled for events all five days of the convention and didn't know when she would have time to breathe. She even told her husband not to bother coming down to visit. He seemed to thrive in these crowds and loved seeing her fans, so he would want to go to all the parties and events, while she really wanted to try to relax and recharge. She thought back to the phone conversation she had with him yesterday morning as she got dressed for the last brunch of her getaway with her friends. _"Seriously Robin, you don't need to fly down. I'm going to be so exhausted that I'm going to go straight to the hotel and crash as soon as they release me each day. I won't be much fun and we'd probably just end up arguing about whether or not to go out every night. I'll see you and the boys when I get back...Yes, I know how it'll look if you're not there, but it'll be fine."_

Regina was pulled from her reverie when she heard the emcee announce that the panel's time was up. The cast stood up from behind their table as they smiled and waved to the fans and made their way offstage and back to the green room. Regina hadn't had time to check-in to her hotel after hauling herself straight from the airport to the convention center, which she now realized was a blessing. She started searching through her large rolling suitcase and pulled out a change of clothes. She slipped on a pair of jeans under her red maxi dress and put on an off-the shoulder Wonder Woman t-shirt, quickly pulling off the dress from underneath. She then threw her dark hair into a low ponytail before putting on a Pokémon baseball hat she had pilfered from her 12-year-old step-son before packing for the convention.

"What are you doing?" Belle French, another actress from her show, asked her in a thick Australian accent as she opened a bottle of water and took a swig. Belle eyed her brunette friend like she was insane, frantically digging through her things.

"I'm going to brave the outside world in search of caffeine, so I'm trying to blend in," she replied, putting on a pair of dark aviator sunglasses. "By now there are photos from the panel all over Instagram and Twitter, so I can't go out in that if I don't want to be spotted," she said, motioning to the discarded dress that now resided in a heap on top of her suitcase as she slipped a pair of black Nikes. "Hopefully now I'll blend in with all the cosplayers and superhero apparel." She tucked the lanyard with her all-access credentials into the crewneck of her t-shirt for safe keeping, but to help keep her identity under wraps.

"That's quite smart, actually," David chimed in. "But you know, we do have coffee here."

"That won't do it for me. I need a triple shot. And I need air. Between being on a plane for 6 hours this morning and pretty much confined to this convention center for the next five days, I need some fresh air and daylight."

"You could just send one of the event staff runners to do it," Zelena West, her snooty on-screen sister, pointed out. "Or, just hire an assistant like the rest of us. Has anyone seen mine, by the way? That girl is on her last straw."

Regina rolled her eyes and grabbed her small wristlet out of her suitcase, just large enough to hold her credit card, ID, and her phone.

"And where do you think you're going, dearie?" Robert Gold, the show's creator and executive producer, asked her as he saw her preparing to leave the room that would serve as their show's hub for the remainder of the week.

"The Starbucks across the street. I won't be long."

"You're on in 25 for the autograph table."

"I'll be back in 20."

"You better be. Take someone from security with you."

"I'll be fine, and I'll be quick. If I'm surrounded by security it'll take twice as long. The goal is not to draw attention to myself. A big dude in a security shirt will have the opposite effect." She quietly slipped out of the room and toward a back exit, behind the scenes of all the hoopla on the main floor of the convention. The second she stepped outside she took a deep breath, relishing the fresh air before jogging over to the Starbucks on the corner.

* * *

Emma Swan groaned as she waited in line at Starbucks, trying to adjust a bobbypin that was doing a fine job of holding her blonde bun in place, but was digging painfully into her scalp. She was on her lunch break from her rehearsal and desperately needed a double Americano if she was going to make it through another three hours of cue-to-cue. She took a quick look at her phone, scrolling through her Instagram feed as she waited, smiling as she saw photos of her friends in their cosplay regalia across the street. She wished she would have been able to go, but she had to forgo it due to her dance company's tech week. Emma may be a reformed ballerina, but she was a giant nerd at heart. She looked up again and saw that there were still at least 15 people in front of her in line, most of whom were decked out in elaborate costumes. She had hoped that her trip to Starbucks would only take a few minutes, but it looked like her caffeine craving may occupy most of her lunch hour. _Doesn't the convention have its own coffee station? Why is everyone over here?_ she wondered to herself before looking back down at her phone and sending off a text message to her pas de deux partner, Killian Jones, to see if he wanted her to pick up anything for him as long as she was here.

The line moved at a snail's pace, but eventually she was third in line. She put her phone back in her bag as she contemplated which boxed lunch she wanted out of the refrigerator at the front of the line. Preoccupied, she barely noticed when someone quickly came in through the revolving door and approached her from the side, cutting in front of her in line. "Oh, there you are! It's so good to see you again. Thanks for saving me a spot," the voice said before somewhat awkwardly hugging Emma. She looked at the woman who still was holding her in an embrace, unable to utter her confusion before hearing the mystery woman whisper in her ear: "if you go along with this, I'll buy you whatever you were planning on ordering." The woman pulled back and looked at the blonde she had selected, hoping she had chosen wisely.

"Sure, no problem. I'm glad you made it," Emma responded, just loud enough for the disgruntled patrons in line behind her to not raise a fuss at the line cutter. Emma assessed the woman in front of her. Her voice sounded vaguely familiar, and though the woman's frame was petite, she carried herself with confidence. Her air of mystery was amplified by the sunglasses she had yet to take off.

"Thank you," the brunette smiled shyly as she let out a sigh of relief. "What will it be?"

"Oh, um, this sandwich and a tall Americano with an extra shot."

"Done." She took the boxed lunch from the blonde and smiled, their fingers slightly brushing in the exchange. They were up next, and she handed the barista the cardboard container to ring up before placing their order. "Hi, two venti Americanos with an extra shot in each. Thanks," she said, handing the barista her Starbucks gold card to pay. She looked over at the blonde, who had a brow raised, before explaining: "You let me bypass the line, so I upgraded your order. I hope you don't mind."

"I'm not arguing," Emma laughed in reply.

"It'll be a few minutes. What are your names?" The barista looked at the women, her Sharpie marker at the ready to write on the cups.

"Emma," Emma replied, looking first at the barista and then at the brunette. She gasped as she suddenly realized who her line companion was. It took her a few minutes, but after looking at the woman and hearing her speak a bit more, she knew.

Regina recognized Emma's gasp of realization – it's something she heard a lot when she tried to go out incognito in public but ultimately would be discovered. She quickly answered the barista with an alias before Emma could say anything else: "Rachel."

Emma sent her a questioning look as the two moved off to the side to wait for their drinks. Emma lowered her voice as she turned to face the other woman. "Rachel?"

Regina shrugged. "What?"

"Interesting choice."

"I panicked. I forgot they do the whole name-on-your-cup thing here. It's the first name I thought of." She paused for a moment. "So, I take it by that gasp back there and this line of questioning that you've figured out who I am?" She looked over at the blonde, who smirked. "Oh God, I'm sorry. That must have sounded incredibly cocky," she reached out and softly touched the blonde's forearm in apology.

"Ha, don't worry about it. And yes, indeed I did. The disguise is impressive, though. If you hadn't continued to talk to me I probably wouldn't have noticed. Your voice is what gave you away."

"Well, thanks for not blowing my cover, Emma…I assume that's your real name?"

"Yes. Emma Swan. And you're welcome, Rachel," she emphasized the fake name before continuing. "I can't blame you, given that it looks like half the Con is in this Starbucks."

"That's why I picked you," Regina started.

Emma was confused. "Wait, what?"

Regina looked up at the woman before explaining. "Everyone else who was in the first half of the line is clearly headed to Comic-Con. Unless there's a ballerina superhero story I'm not aware of, you seemed like you were the safe choice." She looked Emma up and down, inspecting her more closely. "I was in a hurry and had to make a snap judgment as to who would be least likely to 'out' me. I figured anyone else here might notice right away and start shrieking."

Emma nodded as she looked down at herself, becoming slightly embarrassed at her current state of dress. She had her American Ballet Theater track jacket zipped up over her leotard and a pair of cutoff sweatpants pulled on haphazardly over her footless tights. Flip-flops and calloused feet rounded out the elegant look. "Then I'd say you made a good call. But I gotta admit that I would be at the Con if my rehearsal schedule let me, and if I could afford it. A few of my friends are over there, actually. They're livetweeting their experience so I can catch up later when I'm done for the day. We're all big fans of your show, and some of the other series that are there," Emma sheepishly admitted, hoping not to slip into fangirl mode. If Regina was fazed by Emma's statement, she didn't show it. "I think they're actually signed up for your autograph session and photo op later. They were rubbing it in my face earlier that they would get to meet the legendary cast of _Frozen Mirror_ while I'm stuck in the middle of tech rehearsals _._ "

Regina let out a small chuckle. "Oh, shit, what time is it?" Regina asked as their names were called. She grabbed both drinks from the counter while Emma pulled out her phone and checked.

"It's 2:45." Emma took the drink Regina handed her as they moved out of the way of the other customers and over to the condiment counter, where Regina proceeded to empty a pack of Splenda into her cup.

"Damn. I have to be back for the autograph signing at 3. I promised my producer I'd only be gone 20 minutes. I wish they would give us a little more time in between events."

"Well, it's a good thing you cut in line then. You'd still be waiting, otherwise." Emma laughed as she took a sip of her coffee, watching as Regina stirred her coffee before pressing the lid back onto the cup.

"Indeed. Thanks again for that, by the way. You have no idea how badly I needed some real coffee. The stuff they brew over there just doesn't cut it. You're a lifesaver."

"My pleasure. And thank you for the coffee and sandwich."

"It's the least I could do." Regina paused, creating an awkward silence as she took a sip. She had to get back, but somehow this short 10 minute coffee adventure had been the most normal interaction she could remember in recent history, and she wasn't in any hurry for it end.

"Well, you should probably head back so they don't fire your ass," Emma said, interrupting Regina's silent contemplation. "You wouldn't want to keep the troops waiting. Those nerds can get crazy."

Regina laughed. "No, I suppose that wouldn't be wise." They started walking toward the entrance, and Regina could sense that Emma wanted to say something, but was holding back. "Umm, since you can't make it to the convention, did you want a picture or anything before I head back?"

"Oh, yeah! I would love that, actually. I wasn't going to ask because I didn't want to draw attention to you, given that you went through all this trouble to avoid recognition," Emma said, gesturing toward Regina's attire. Then she smiled, "Plus, your disguise is so good no one would believe me if I said it was you anyway."

"Good point. Do you want to walk back toward the convention center with me? I can take off the glasses and hat there and give you a proper photo, if you don't mind walking over."

"Are you serious?"

"Mhmm." Regina nodded.

"Then yeah, absolutely. Thanks."

They exited the Starbucks and Emma followed Regina across the street and toward the alley behind the convention center, which was filled with vendor trucks. They maneuvered around the crew members wheeling dollies full of boxes, replenishing their stock of souvenirs. Regina removed her sunglasses and hat, taking her hair down from the ponytail and brushing it out with her fingers. "Where's your phone?" she asked Emma as they approached the security guard manning the back door. Emma took it out of her purse and Regina nodded to the guard. "Excuse me sir, would you mind taking a quick photo of us?" He looked at Regina like she was crazy until she pulled her all-access lanyard out from its place tucked inside her shirt and showed it to him.

"Oh, sure thing, Ms. Mills. I didn't recognize you."

"That was the point. I had to get out of there for a little while, you know?"

He nodded as he took the phone from Emma and signaled for the two women to get together. Regina casually draped her right arm around Emma's shoulder, angling their torsos toward each other. Emma instinctively wrapped her left arm around Regina's waist, feeling Regina inch closer to her. "Okay, on the count of three: one, two, three." The women smiled as he took a few pictures before handing the phone back to Emma.

"Thanks."

"Did they turn out okay?" Regina asked, motioning for Emma to check the images as she peered over her shoulder. Emma could feel her breath quicken but tried not to let it show, as she felt Regina standing behind her. "Oh, good! They did." Regina seemed satisfied with the photos. "Can you do me a huge favor?"

"Of course."

"If you post that to social media, can you wait until after 7 o'clock tonight to do it? I may try to sneak out for a break later today and I don't want to reveal my excellent disguise to the masses."

Emma rolled her eyes. "That I can do."

"Great, thank you Emma."

"You're welcome, Regina."

Regina's breath hitched for just a second as she heard Emma say her name for the first time. She quickly shook it off. "I have to head in. Thanks again for letting me so rudely cut in line, Miss Swan."

"Anytime, Ms. Mills." Emma winked as Regina opened the door, smiling and offering Emma a small wave as she stepped inside.


	2. Chapter 2: A Request from Gold

**A/N:** Happy OUAT day! Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows from chapter one! I wasn't expecting much of a response, but I love that you guys seem to be enjoying it. I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

"You're late, dearie," Gold scolded her as she rushed back into the green room.

"I still have five minutes before I have to be out there," Regina retorted, turning her back to him as she pulled off her t-shirt and threw her red maxi dress that she wore to the earlier panel back on over her head. She shimmied out of her jeans and sneakers and stepped back into her heeled sandals. She was still a little sweaty from being out in the Maine summer humidity, and perhaps from being in close proximity to the gorgeous blonde ballerina, but it would have to do. Regina wasn't scheduled to take photographs with fans until 5:00pm, so she had time to make herself camera-ready later. For now, she looked perfectly presentable to sit behind a table and sign autographs. "There. And with two minutes to spare," she smirked at Gold and patted him on the shoulder. She quickly grabbed her phone and what was left of her coffee, following the rest of the cast out to the signing session.

Regina approached her place at the table, situated between Graham Humbert and Daniel Colter, her two current on-screen love interests. "It figures they'd put me between you two," she commented with a small laugh as she pulled out her chair and sat down. She personally was ready for her character to end the love triangle and pick someone already, as it had extended for more than a full season at this point, but she couldn't argue that the fans loved the constant back-and-forth. Plus, she got along well with both actors and enjoyed getting to do scenes with them. Fortunately, all three of them had very understanding spouses, so the constant on-screen makeout sessions never caused any concerns; it was just part of the job.

She caught Gold's eye in her periphery and nodded, quickly pulling out her phone and taking a selfie with her two co-stars, each one kissing her cheek. The cast had been strongly encouraged by the show's producers and the network heads to take as many behind-the-scenes photos as they could, both with other cast members and with fans. Since there were so many television shows, movies, and franchises attending the convention, they wanted to make sure that their program maintained a strong presence within the official event hashtag. As the cast member with one of the largest social media followings, she knew that directive was mostly aimed at her. She had just enough time to add a filter and post it to Instagram before the event manager said that they would be opening the doors in less than a minute to let in the fans.

"Let the games begin," Graham whispered to Regina in his thick Irish accent, which Regina knew helped contribute to his heart-throb status among the show's viewers. "May the odds be ever in your favor."

She rolled her eyes. "Wrong franchise, but I see your point," she laughed as she picked up the gold Sharpie off the table in preparation for the onslaught of excited convention goers. Regina took a deep breath as the doors opened to the room and the fans hurried to get in line at the various tables set up for their show and a few others with whom they were sharing the room. She heard the stage manager trying to keep order, explaining instructions through his microphone. "Remember, single file line. Only one autograph per person per cast member. If you want them to sign something you brought, that's fine. But, cast members reserve the right to refuse to sign anything they deem inappropriate. Otherwise, each cast member has provided photos to autograph. You can take photographs from the line, but do not ask for photos during the signing. We need to keep the lines moving and there are plenty of photo ops later on..."

* * *

Down the street in a small 150-seat theater, Emma Swan was walking back from her whirlwind of a lunch break, hastily unwrapping her chicken salad sandwich and devouring it. "Hey Swan, where's my coffee?" Killian asked as she set her bag down in the studio backstage and began to warm up before their afternoon run-through.

"Oh shit, Killian, I'm sorry. I totally forgot. But in my defense, I was very distracted. You won't believe who I ran into." She briefly explained what had happened, completing her tale by showing him the photo she and Regina had taken in the alley behind the convention center.

"Okay, I'll forgive you, if you let me finish whatever is left in that cup of yours. I'm dying." She nodded and handed him her coffee, which was nearly empty. "Thank you. Now get dressed…our duet is up in 10."

* * *

"I'm running low over here," Regina called out toward one of the show's production assistants who stood off to the side behind the table. Within seconds a new stack of glossy 8x10 headshots appeared next to her on the table. "Thanks, Tink," she said to the girl, barely having time to look up at the petite blonde and send her a gracious smile before another fan quickly appeared in front of her.

"It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Mills," the excited teen said as she handed her the show's season five DVD case to sign.

"Thank you for coming! Who should I make this out to?" She quickly jotted down the girl's name, signed her own, and handed it back to the teen with a smile. She heard the girl say the same thing to Graham as she made her way down the line to the rest of the cast.

Regina heard the stage manager call out a five-minute warning, signaling that the end of the session was approaching. She shook out her right wrist, trying to relieve the cramp that had formed in her hand. Fortunately, she noticed that the line had dwindled, with only a handful of people left.

An 11-year-old girl and the girl's mother approached Regina next. The mother commented that her daughter, Grace, was a big fan of the show and of Regina's. "Well, thank you, that's nice to hear. I'm glad you guys enjoy the show!" Regina tried her best to stay enthusiastic. Despite the four shots of espresso in her earlier coffee, she was fading fast. She was desperately looking forward to her next break.

"Does Henry have a girlfriend?"

Regina looked up from signing her photograph, surprised by the little girl's question. "My son, Henry?"

The girl nodded. "He's cute."

Regina laughed. Ever since she had married Robin three years ago and adopted his two sons, they had become minor celebrities of their own. Regina had to be careful not to leave her iPhone unattended, because 12-year-old Henry and 8-year-old Roland were quick to hijack her Snapchat account. Fans of the show loved it, getting a glimpse into the home life of Regina Mills. "Well, to the best of my knowledge Henry does not have a girlfriend." Regina smiled and sent a quick wink to the girl as she handed her the autograph. Grace beamed.

Finally, the last few people approached the table, two men and a woman who looked to be in their mid-to-late 20s. "Hi guys, it looks like you're just squeaking in here before we shut down," Regina commented to the trio, excited that this meant she was very close to a much-needed powernap. "What are your names?"

"I'm Neal, and this is August and Ruby," one of the men said. "It's great to meet you in person. We're all big fans of the show." He then loudly whispered, "and don't tell the others, but you're definitely our favorite."

"I heard that," Graham called out from his spot next to Regina.

"Ha, well that's always great to hear. I appreciate you guys coming out to see us," she said, signing the first of the headshots and handing it to Neal. She quickly signed a second for August and started to sign Ruby's when she was interrupted.

"Oh, actually, since we only get one, I was hoping to give mine to a friend, instead. She wanted to be here but couldn't make it."

"Oh, not a problem. What's your friend's name?" Regina asked. "I don't mind signing one more, since you guys are the end of the line." She quickly finished Ruby's and then grabbed an extra photograph.

"Emma."

Regina's head shot up. "Emma?" She realized the chances were slim that it was the same Emma that she met only a few hours earlier, but then again she guessed that these three were roughly the right age, and Emma had mentioned that her friends were planning to be at the autograph session.

"Mmmhmm," Ruby confirmed. "Emma Swan."

Regina smiled knowingly. "Of course. And where is Miss Swan today?" She asked as she contemplated whether to write her standard autograph message or personalize it. She opted for the former since she would be handing it to Emma's friends and didn't want to raise questions if she had included the message "I hope you enjoyed your coffee."

"Oh, she has a performance with her dance company down at the Portland Arts Center opening tomorrow, so she's in rehearsals all day," Ruby offered.

Regina tried to suppress her satisfied grin with Ruby's response, as she had just been given the information she needed. "Well, that sounds like a good reason to miss the convention. Tell her good luck with her performance and that I think she has great friends," Regina said as she slid the autographed photograph across the table.

"Thanks!" the trio said as they turned to leave the table, just as the stage manager announced the conclusion of the session and that all guests needed to depart the room.

Regina stood up and stretched, leaning back to let several of her vertebrae crack in relief. "God, I need a nap. We have an hour before our photo ops, yeah?" Regina asked Tink as she tossed her now empty coffee cup in the trashcan behind the table.

"Well, closer to 45 minutes now. The autographs ran a few minutes over and you should probably be up in the photography room a little before the start time," Tink responded.

Regina sighed. "That's fine. I just need a 20-minute nap and enough time to fix my hair and makeup, and then I'll be good to go." She followed her castmates back to their lounge where she snagged an empty loveseat in the corner and curled up into a ball to rest her eyes.

"How much do you want to draw a penis on her face with a marker right now?" Zelena quietly asked Graham, nodding her head toward Regina's napping form.

"I'm not asleep yet, asshole. I can hear you," Regina called out. She promptly gave Zelena the finger without bothering to open her eyes, causing everyone in the room to burst out laughing.

* * *

Emma finished her final piece around 6:30 that night and was excited to get out at a reasonable time. She was relieved that this meant she would have time to actually cook a nice dinner, rather than stop for takeout on her way back to Storybrooke. At this rate, she could eat something healthy, take a much-needed bubble bath, and get to bed at a decent hour. It was her third full day of rehearsal, and with her show opening the following night she really wanted to relax.

"See you tomorrow, Swan. Get some rest," Killian said as he kissed her on the cheek and started gathering his things to leave.

"Thanks, Killian. Take it easy." She slung her bag over her shoulder and fished out her phone, scrolling through her email and text messages as she walked to her yellow VW beetle in the parking lot. She stopped when she saw Ruby's name and an attached photo: _Sorry you couldn't make it, but I picked this up for you!_ Emma laughed when she saw the autograph, and what appeared to be a hand-drawn winking smiley face next to Regina's signature. She sent her a quick _Thanks, you rock!_ text back, deciding to wait until later that night to fill her friend in on the details of her earlier encounter.

* * *

Regina was finally free. It was a little after 7:00 when Regina and several of her fellow cast members made their way back to their show's dressing room after two hours of photo ops. Regina started throwing all her things into her suitcase, more than ready to head up to her room for the night.

"God, my face hurts from smiling so much," Zelena commented as she opened a bottle of water and grabbed one of the remaining brownies from the catering table in the room, swiftly shoving the entire thing into her mouth.

"Classy," Regina laughed. "Well, now you can go back to your usual scowl for the rest of the night until you get to do it all over again tomorrow."

"Very funny. Are you going to come out with us?" Zelena asked as Belle quickly took a selfie with her and posted it to Instagram. "We're going to head to the hotel bar with some of the cast of the new Hercules movie."

Regina shook her head. "No. I need a shower and am going to try to go to sleep. I flew across four timezones today and my brain and body need a break."

"Is Robin going to be coming down tonight?" Belle asked as she threw on a denim jacket, preparing to head out.

"No, I told him not to come down for this one."

"And why would you do such a thing, Regina?" Gold asked her as he joined in the conversation.

Regina hadn't even noticed he was in the room. "Oh. I talked to him yesterday and let him know it wouldn't be worth it. As you know I was just in Napa for a few days for my friend's wedding shower, and I knew I would be exhausted between that and all the convention panels and events. It just didn't seem like it would be worth his while to barely see me." Then, she added for good measure: "Plus, things are getting quite busy at the restaurant, so it makes sense for him to spend some time staying on top of it." Robin owned a popular restaurant in Montréal, but with Regina spending most of her time shooting _Frozen Mirror_ in Nova Scotia, he split his time between the two provinces. "You know he likes to be at our Halifax apartment when I'm shooting, so he rarely has time to go home and keep an eye on things. With me traveling this gives him time to check-in with the home office, you know?"

Robert Gold looked unimpressed, but nodded. "Ah yes, you mentioned you were heading out to California for some wine tastings. I assume you met up with Mal while you were in town?" Regina nodded as she zipped up her suitcase and pulled out the collapsible handle in preparation to wheel it out of the room. "Oh Regina, before you go, can I have a quick word?" He then turned to the others in the room. "Nice work today, everyone, by the way. I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow. Please behave yourselves and stay out of the tabloids tonight." Belle and Zelena awkwardly looked at each other before excusing themselves, along with the rest of the cast members who were still hanging around the room.

Regina smiled politely at them as they left. "What is it, Gold? I'd really like to get upstairs and turn in."

"Is everything going okay with you and Robin?"

Regina looked at him quizzically. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

He took a deep breath and let out an audible, annoyed sigh. "Well, I don't know how closely you pay attention to your Twitter replies and Instagram comments, but we certainly do," he began. She just stared at him, nonplussed. "Fans are commenting that they haven't seen you and Robin together out in public recently. They, and I regrettably quote, 'miss Robina', or whatever the couple nickname is they gave you two."

"Well, my shooting schedule has been insane the past few months. Forgive me for not wanting to go out partying after multiple 18-hour days, and it's not like there have been any major events to attend recently," she scoffed, feeling herself getting defensive. She was sick of having this conversation.

"No one is saying you have to go out partying, Regina. You're 35, so no one expects you to behave like a Kardashian. But you guys used to post photos together all the time…around the house, with Roland and Henry…. and even on Twitter you used to gushingly tweet each other quite frequently. People have noticed that it's stopped and that you're not even engaging with each other online anymore. Did you know that you guys haven't 'liked' any Instagram posts from each other in over a month?"

"That's..." she paused, looking for the right word and struggling to find it, "…kind of creepy that you're keeping track."

"Unfortunately, it's part of my job. Believe me, I wish it weren't. It's not how I like to spend my time."

"You're not secretly keeping tally of how often we have sex, are you? Do you have our bedroom bugged?"

"You know I don't care about that…as long as people think you're having sex, I don't care if you actually do."

She sighed. "Gold, just come out with it, already. What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying you guys need to make more of an effort to maintain your public personas, especially after the past few days." At that comment, Regina furrowed her eyebrows in genuine confusion. Gold pulled out his phone and showed her an image. "Care to explain this?"

Regina took the phone from him and looked at the photograph posted to Instagram, one she hadn't seen before and didn't know was taken. Someone in Napa must have snapped it without her knowledge, although that was an occupational hazard anytime she was out in public. "That's Mal and me at one of the wine tastings. What about it?"

Gold scoffed. "Nothing, except you don't want rumors to start up again."

"Jesus, Gold, not this again. Anyone can tell there's nothing happening in that photo. We're talking to each other and drinking wine, as are the other 10 people in the background of that photo with us." She pointed to the image, still on his phone screen. "And there's Kathryn, and there's Ella…"as she pointed out her friends that were standing just on the other side of Mal and herself.

"I don't care about Kathryn and Ella and whoever else is in that photo. I care about what this looks like." In the photo Regina and Mal were standing close to one another laughing and drinking wine, with Regina's hand resting on Mal's bicep.

"It looks like a group of friends enjoying a wine tasting in Napa Valley. No one is going to try to dig into this. And even if they did, there would be nothing to find."

Now it was Gold's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Nothing, dearie?"

"Nothing." Regina was firm. "You know there's nothing going on there."

"Okay. Just make sure it stays that way. I can't clean up after you again, even if you are the show's most valuable asset."

"There is no mess to clean up, Gold."

"Good. Though if I may offer some unsolicited advice, it would be wise if Robin could take a one day break from his very 'busy' life as a restaurateur this week to make a surprise appearance. Your fans would love to see him pop in to one of the events this week…give them a dose of the 'Robina' they've been missing," he said, rolling his eyes as he made air quotes with his hands.

"Not going to happen, Gold."

"Then at least, for the love of God, make sure you post some sickening cute selfies together as soon as you're back to reassure everyone that you're still living happily ever after. And it wouldn't hurt if he commented on a few of your photos from today, especially ones posted by fans, to profess his undying love for you. A tweet from each of you stating how much you miss each other in the next day or two might be nice, too. Cover all your bases."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I'll talk to Robin."

Gold smirked. "Good, see that you do. And you may want to post something from your little girl's weekend to make it explicitly clear why you were there and who you were with, just to nip it in the bud. The comments on some of those candids are already going places we'd all rather they not."

* * *

Regina fired off a quick text to Robin explaining Gold's asinine concerns as she waited for the elevator in the hotel. Robin had again offered to come down to the convention, even just for a day, to make an appearance, but she declined. He then promised to increase his social media interaction with her, and he apologized that he hadn't realized that they weren't as interactive recently. Usually he was better about these things. _Thank you,_ she had texted, _just please don't go crazy and overcompensate. Then it'll look too forced/like we're trying too hard. Oh, and now might be a good time to tweet about your restaurant's anniversary party next week and all its preparations. It would help justify why you aren't at the Con, plus it's good promotion for you :)._ He was happy to oblige.

Regina slid her keycard into the door and let out a sigh of relief as soon as she stepped inside her room. The hotel room was small, but it would be a comfortable respite for the next few days. She and the rest of her show's cast and crew were on one floor of the hotel attached to the convention center, while the rest of the floors were filed with other celebrities and crew members. Fortunately, the hotel was a fan-free zone, giving all the convention guests of honor at least a little space to relax without being asked for an autograph on their way to the vending machine down the hall. It also meant they had the hotel bar, restaurant, and spa to themselves, away from prying eyes.

She immediately stripped out of her clothing and made her way to the ensuite bathroom. Originally she had planned to shower, but she really needed a relaxing bath after the confrontation with Gold. She filled the bathtub with the complimentary bubble bath, then quickly left the room and returned with a glass and small bottle of wine from the room's minibar. She lit a few candles and grabbed a magazine. Heeding Gold's advice, she took a carefully crafted picture of her manicured toes popping up through the bubbly water with the wine and candles resting on the edge of the tub. Pulling up her Instagram app, she edited the photo before writing the caption: "Relaxing after a great first day of #FrozenMirror appearances at #NEComicCon. Wish you were here, 'RobinLocksley' – miss you! Xoxo." Rolling her eyes, she published the post after tacking on the kissing emoji for added effect. _There, that should get Gold off my back for a little while. Some implied innuendo should make everyone_ happy, she thought. Within seconds the post had thousands of likes. She quickly scanned through her notifications and tags from the day, trying to find a particular photo with a certain blonde. She sighed when she didn't see it and realized that even if she had posted it, it would be impossible to find. There were literally thousands of photos people had tagged her in throughout the day. She set her phone down and settled into the bath to get some much-needed relaxation.

Stepping out of the tub a half hour later and wrapping herself in a fluffy white hotel towel, Regina grabbed her phone and rolled her eyes when she saw a " _well played_ " text from Gold attached to a screenshot of her most recent post. She made her way back into the room, realizing that while the bath relaxed her, it also woke her up more than she expected. Instead of heading straight to bed, she decided to take out her laptop and do some research into the blonde she couldn't get out of her head. She googled "Emma Swan" and found a Facebook page, but she had no idea if it was her. The profile photo was of a cat, while the cover photo was the Grateful Dead song lyric: "Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul." Regina somehow doubted Emma was a Dead Head. She couldn't see any other info on the page due to the privacy settings, so she quickly abandoned that avenue of her investigation.

Her phone screen lit up next to her and she quickly picked it up to check the notification: it was Instagram telling her that 'RobinLocksley' had liked her photo and commented "I miss you too, babe! Wish I could be there." She rolled her eyes after sending Robin a quick " _thank you_ " text and went back to her browser. She seemed to be on the right track after searching for "Emma Swan and Portland Arts Center." That led her to a website for a small dance company, where the blonde's headshot graced the top of the page. Regina silently thanked Ruby for giving her that bit of information during the autograph signing. Per the biography on the company page, Emma and her friend Killian Jones founded the "EmKi Dance Collective" three years ago after their contracts expired as members of the American Ballet Theater corps de ballet in New York. Regina continued reading about the company, impressed by its apparent success. According to the website, over the past two years they mostly performed in small exhibitions with other groups, but this year was the company's first evening-length performance. Regina smiled, understanding why Emma needed the extra caffeine. Preparing to dance in a show was tiring enough, but it also appeared that she and Killian were running the entire thing. Regina imagined Emma had to be exhausted and stressed. Regina also realized that her own exhaustion was catching up with her, so she closed her laptop and tossed it to the end of her bed. Before falling asleep, she made a mental note that she still wanted to learn more about the intriguing Emma Swan.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know this chapter was heavy on the convention stuff, but I needed to include it to set up some of the upcoming chapters. I also know there wasn't any direct SQ interaction in this one, but there will be plenty to follow soon :)


	3. Chapter 3: A Special Delivery

**A/N:** So apparently I am updating this twice per week instead of only once, so the next update will be on Sunday. This story is also going to end up longer than I anticipated, since each day of the Con seems to be broken into two chapters each. I've completed about six chapters, and have at least four more outlined, so it'll end up around 10 in the end. Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited this. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Regina woke the next morning to the hotel phone ringing incessantly on the nightstand next to her. She flung her arm in that general direction and fumbled around until she found the receiver, managing to mumble out a groggy "Hello?"

"Yes, Ms. Mills? This is Diana at the front desk with your requested 6am wakeup call."

Regina responded with what sounded like a mix of a groan and a thank you and hung up the phone. She certainly had not requested a 6am wakeup call, but she figured Gold had done that on her behalf. She still had not adjusted to Eastern time, so in her mind it was still 3am. The phone rang again, and she scowled: "What?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Mills, but it's Diana at the front desk again. I was told to keep calling you until I got a confirmation that you were indeed awake and getting out of bed."

 _I'm going to fucking kill Gold,_ she thought to herself. "Yes, Diana, I am awake. Thank you," she said with as much kindness as she could muster at this early hour. It wasn't Diana's fault that Regina's boss was an ass.

"Thank you, Ms. Mills. Have a pleasant day."

After putting the phone back on the nightstand, Regina decided to get up even though she didn't have to be back at the convention center until a little before 9am. As she sat up, she saw her laptop at the end of the bed, still in the spot where she had tossed it the night before. She reached over the blankets to grab it, settling it in her lap as she rested against her pillow.

Regina resumed her descent into the rabbit hole that was Emma Swan's online presence. After deciding she had learned all she would on the EmKi Dance Collective website, she followed a link to the company's Instagram page. _Bingo_ , she thought. The feed was filled with photographs and videos from their rehearsals and performances. After watching a few videos, and thoroughly impressed with what she saw, she clicked on an image of Emma with her arms around a guy with dark hair and more eyeliner than most girls wore. For the briefest of moments Regina felt a twinge in her stomach, perhaps something akin to jealousy, but she dismissed it. She clicked on a few more photographs, smirking to herself as she admitted that Emma looked damn good in a leotard and tights, or in some cases just a strappy sports bra and bike shorts. Finally, she found what she was looking for on the third photograph she enlarged: a photo that included a link to Emma's Instagram account in the caption. Regina hesitated for a millisecond before following the link to 'EmmaSwanDances'. She immediately saw the thumbnail image of their photograph from yesterday. She clicked on it and took a screenshot, emailing it to herself and making a note to post it to her own account later. She also smiled when she saw the timestamp on the photo – Emma had been true to her word and didn't post it until almost midnight last night.

Intrigued by the prospect of getting a window into the blonde's life, Regina continued to scroll through her feed. Mostly, she found professional headshots and impressive dance photographs of Emma leaping and posing in various cities and studios, but those were interspersed with a few photos that featured other people, drinks, a cat and a dog, and books. Suddenly, Regina felt a little guilty looking through her account. Yes, Emma could have made it private if she didn't want it to be found, but Regina felt like she was invading her personal space without permission. She decided to get on with her morning, but not before clicking back on their post-coffee photo and quickly double-clicking the image until the little heart icon turned pink.

* * *

Twenty miles away in a sleepy town called Storybrooke, Emma Swan was waking up much earlier than usual. She chalked it up to excitement over her little company's big opening night performance later that evening. While it wasn't going to be nearly the size of the performances she had grown accustomed to during her time as a professional ballerina, this night was still a big deal for her and her best friend. She and Killian took a chance when they moved out of New York City and headed North to Maine nearly four years ago, leaving behind the skyscrapers and falafel carts for lighthouses and lobster boats. She had loved her time as a member of ABT, but after one too many metatarsal stress fractures and her ever-increasing age, she knew it was time to move on to something a little less physically demanding and more creatively freeing.

She rolled out of bed and went over to the fridge, dishing out a small portion of Friskies for her cat, Adagio, and then started brewing a pot of coffee. Throwing on a pair of sweats over the boyshorts she slept in, she grabbed her phone off her nightstand. She turned it on after making her way back over to her kitchen, leaning on the countertop as she waited for the coffee to be ready. Absentmindedly, she began her typical morning check of email and social media, scrolling through Twitter and Facebook to make sure she didn't miss anything important. She discovered yet another engagement that was announced overnight, this time one of her former ballet company members, and a pregnancy announcement from an elementary school classmate. _Ugh, the joys of being 29. Nothing but weddings and babies all the time,_ she thought as she poured her first cup of coffee. Upon opening Instagram, she saw her notifications tab indicate the usual likes and comments on her photos. As she scrolled through, her eyes immediately landed on one she had not expected to see: 'ReginaMills' had found the photo she posted and liked it. Before she had time to process that bit of surprising news, her phone rang.

"Holy shit, Emma!" If the coffee didn't wake her up, Ruby screaming in her ear certainly did.

"Good morning to you too, Ruby," she rolled her eyes as she put her friend on speakerphone, hoping that might reduce the damage to her eardrums.

"Holy shit, Emma!"

"You said that already…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Emma said, sipping from her cup and enjoying the painful burn of the piping hot liquid traveling down her esophagus.

"You met Regina Mills? Hell, you weren't even at the convention. How did that happen? Where was that picture taken? Why didn't you tell me? What was she like in real life?"

Emma smiled at the memory and happily recounted the story from the day before.

* * *

Regina came down from her hotel room and met the rest of the cast back in the green room, picking up a bagel and slathering on some cream cheese. Her continued cyberstalking of Emma Swan had taken up more time than she had expected that morning, so she didn't have a chance to eat breakfast at the hotel. She was starving.

"Okay, dearies, listen up," Gold said as he walked into the room, leaning on his cane as he stood in front of the catering table. "This morning at 9:30 you're all on for another all-cast panel. This one will primarily be the moderator asking questions, but there will be some audience questions at the end. As always, be kind and considerate in your answers, even if you've already answered that question a hundred times before. Then you'll get a short break before going to another all-cast meet and greet session at 10:45, and then the lunch buffet with the premium ticket-holders. This afternoon a few of you have individual panels, while the rest of you are in photo ops. You are free to go once you're done with your afternoon sessions, so enjoy your free night. Tomorrow will be more of the same, except you are all expected to be at the network-sponsored party tomorrow night at 6pm. Do not forget about it, and do not be late! And remember it's a cocktail party, so dress accordingly. Finally, I was not happy that my lazy cast seems to have forgotten that their social media presence helps drive the show's success. Do not make that mistake again today…Remember to take plenty of photos and try to interact with your fans as much as possible online. That will be all." Gold turned and left the room.

Regina picked up her phone and decided to oblige Gold's request. She opened her email and downloaded the screenshot she took earlier of her photo with Emma, cropped it, and posted it online using the appropriate hashtags. She hesitated for a moment, but she decided to tag Emma in the photo, writing a quick caption: _Thanks 'EmmaSwanDances' for letting me cut in line and ensuring that I was able to get my caffeine fix during my very short break yesterday at #NEComicCon. It's always great to connect with #FrozenMirror fans, especially fellow performing artists!_

After posting the picture, Regina noticed that Robin had posted a "Throwback Thursday" photo from shortly after they got engaged at his restaurant: _#Tbt to 'ReginaMills' and me after I proposed in the kitchen of 'LocksleyBistro'. Missing her terribly, but stuck in Montréal preparing for a big event here next week. Stay tuned for more details!_ She smiled, appreciating his commitment to reigniting their social media love affair while simultaneously addressing his notable absence as her faithful husband at the convention. She quickly liked the photo and added a heart emoji comment, taking a screenshot of it and texting it to Gold along with the comment: _Happy now?_

Seconds later, she got his one word reply: _Very._

* * *

The moderated panel was done, and for that Regina was thankful. She needed tea, and lots of it. Even though it was an all-cast panel and there were more than 10 cast members up on stage, she found herself on the receiving end of most questions. Between yesterday's events and this morning, Regina needed to soothe her vocal cords.

"Who's that?" she heard Zelena ask over her shoulder. The voice snapped her back to reality. She hadn't even noticed that she had pulled up the photo of her and Emma from the day before on her phone, but sure enough Zelena was pointing to the blonde in the image.

"Oh, she's a fan I met yesterday at Starbucks when I ran out for coffee. She let me cut in line and didn't blow my cover, so I was able to get coffee and back here on time. I took a photo with her as a thank you."

"Oh. Well, she's gorgeous," Zelena said, smirking and nudging Regina on the shoulder.

Regina shrugged, silently praying that her face wasn't as red as it felt. "I suppose so."

"How come you posted the photo? You never post photos with fans to your own account. I thought you didn't like to play favorites."

"I know, and I don't. But, Gold made that whole big speech this morning about the importance of retweeting and engaging with fans on social media, so I figured I may as well, you know?"

Zelena nodded. "I see. Well, you picked a good photo to post, then. You both look great in it."

Regina thought she sensed actual sincerity in Zelena's words, but eyed her suspiciously. "Thanks."

A half hour later, Regina was in a large room filled with tables and a dozen seats around each one. For the next hour, she and her castmates would rotate from table to table for more intimate meet and greets with fans of the show. Of all the events, Regina enjoyed this one the most. She felt less pressure to be funny and constantly "on" than she did on stage during the panels, and she liked being able to have somewhat normal conversations with fans. This was her opportunity to try to form some sort of connection with viewers, which she appreciated.

As she approached the first table, she allowed a small grin to cross her face. She recognized the trio sitting just to the left of her assigned seat. "Is this seat taken?" she asked with a wink as she approached. Not surprisingly, everyone at the table just stared at her in awe rather than responding. "Relax, guys," she laughed as she took her seat. Usually the first few rotations were a little awkward, but eventually everyone in the room would get used to sitting near the people they watched on TV each week and loosened up a bit. "Ruby, right?" She asked, turning to face the leggy brunette in the seat next to her.

"Yes. I'm surprised you remembered." Ruby did look genuinely shocked.

"I do my best. So tell me, were you able to give your friend the autograph? Emma, was it?"

Ruby laughed before the dumbstruck look returned to her face. "Not yet, but I took a picture of it and sent it to her. She was very happy, but I don't think she needs it considering she already met you."

Regina nodded. "Ha, you're probably right. But, she was sweet. I was dying without multiple shots of espresso, and she saved me from passing out on the autograph table."

"Well, I think you made her day. She's had a stressful few weeks, so it meant a lot to her."

Regina felt her cheeks flush and suddenly felt the need to change the subject. She nodded politely and turned to the rest of the table, ready to start the conversation and hoping she wasn't still blushing from Ruby's words. "So, where is everybody from?..."

* * *

Emma was freaking out. Even after all her years performing on stage in the nicest theaters in the world for thousands of people each night, she was not prepared, at least not for this feeling.

"Emma, you're freaking out," Killian said as he saw his best friend pacing backstage and biting her thumbnail.

She paused, just for a moment, to send him a pointed look. "Thank you, Captain Obvious." She resumed pacing.

He tried again. "Why are you freaking out?"

"Why am I freaking out? Why _aren't_ you freaking out? Killian, this is the first real show we've done since moving up here and starting our company. This can make us or break us."

Killian walked over to her and put both his hands on her shoulders, physically stopping her from her nervous tic. "Emma, we're prepared. Our show is great. Our dancers are amazing and professional. They know what they need to do, their costumes are good to go, and the music is cued up and ready. The hard part is over. We've all got this. All you need to do is go out there and do what you do best and what you've been doing brilliantly for the past 20-some years."

Emma let out a small breath and tried to smile. "Thanks, Killian. I know you're right. I'm just nervous. And I shouldn't be, but I am."

He nodded in understanding, but reiterated that the show would be a success.

"Hey Emma?" The theater's stage manager approached the blonde, coming in from the back hallway.

"Yeah?" She looked over at the woman, whose name was escaping her at this moment. She mentally scolded herself, because it wasn't like her to be this flustered. She had been working with this woman all week to prepare for the show, but right now her brain couldn't be bothered to remember her name.

"There's a delivery for you. I put it in your dressing room."

"Okay, thanks." Emma was curious, because she wasn't expecting anything. Curiosity got the best of her, so she went back to the dressing room she shared with the other female dancers. She smiled when she saw the bouquet of red and yellow tulips in a clear glass vase that was sitting on the counter in front of the vanity she had been using to get ready for the performance. Next to it was a small, nondescript black gift bag. She looked for a card hidden in the flowers and gasped when she opened it:

 _Dear Emma,_

 _Congratulations on your opening night! You should be proud of the work you and Killian have put into the EmKi Dance Collective. I hope you have a wonderful show._

 _All the best,_

 _Regina_

 _P.S. Take a look in the bag – I figured you might need a pick-me-up after the week you've had. I remember from my theater days how grueling tech weeks were. Enjoy!_

 _P. P. S. If you're not out celebrating after the show, some of us are going over to the salsa bar on Birch Street after we get done for today. There's a karaoke lounge in their basement that we'll be at. We should be there around 8:30 and will probably close the place down. Feel free to stop by, and bring Killian if you'd like._

Emma was in too much shock to digest the invitation she just received. _How does Regina know where my show is? How does she know the name of my dance company? How does she know who Killian is?_ she asked herself. She had so many questions and didn't have any answers, so she tried to ignore them for now and opened the gift bag. She chuckled as she pulled out a container of chocolate covered espresso beans and a simple note that read: _In case you need more caffeine to get you through tonight and tomorrow. Xoxo – R.M._ Emma couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't believe that Regina knew about her opening night, nor that she would go to this much trouble for someone she met in passing at a Starbucks.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, there you have it. The ladies are about to meet in-person again. (Finally, I know. But in reality it's only been like 28 hours since they first met). I figured this was a good place to stop for now, since the next chapter will be quite long.


	4. Chapter 4: Karaoke Nights

Killian ran up to Emma and wrapped his arms around her as soon as the curtain came down on the stage. "See, I told you it would be great," he said, kissing the top of her head as he picked her up and spun her around.

Emma smiled as a few tears slipped out from her eyes, despite her best effort to suppress them. "I know, you were right."

He pulled back a little bit and looked at her, stunned. "I'm sorry, can you say that again?"

She shoved him back and rolled her eyes. "Seriously, that went really well. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow." Together, they followed the rest of the dancers off stage and back toward the dressing rooms. "And I can't believe we sold out. I didn't expect that."

"Good things are happening to us, Swan. Just wait. This is only the beginning. Now, are you going to join us tonight to celebrate?"

Emma hesitated. She knew she should go out with her dancers and Killian, but she also really wanted to see Regina again and to thank her for her thoughtful gift. "Maybe for a quick drink. I do have someplace I need to be in a bit."

Killian smiled. "Good. Go get changed and I'll meet you in the lobby. We should greet some of our audience and potential donors before we leave." Emma nodded as she disappeared into the dressing room to get ready.

* * *

Regina was trying to relax and enjoy Zelena's slightly flat rendition of "Defying Gravity," but she kept glancing at the door, silently willing a certain blonde to walk through it.

"Regina…?"

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Belle?" She looked up at the redhead, who had sat down next to her at the table.

"I asked what you're going to sing," Belle said, gesturing to the binder full of song options that was sitting open in front of Regina.

"Oh, I haven't decided on anything yet, though probably just my usual." Regina started to flip through the binder again and quickly filled out the song request form before getting up. "I'm going to go get a drink and put my song in the queue. Can I get you anything?" Belle shook her head.

She returned to the table with her gin and tonic just as Zelena was coming back from the stage. "How was it?" Zelena asked as she took a seat next to Belle and across from Regina.

"You were great, Zee," Belle said, giving her friend a small high-five. Regina nodded in agreement as she sipped her drink.

Almost immediately, Regina was called to the stage. With her drink in one hand, she picked up the microphone and prepared as the first few chords of "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes began to play over the sound system. It was barely 9:00, so the karaoke lounge was only just starting to build a crowd, which helped calm Regina's nerves. She loved singing, but it had been awhile since she performed for anyone other than herself in the car. She was relieved that there wasn't a huge audience yet.

Regina quickly got swept up into her performance, belting out the lyrics as the bar sang along with her. About halfway through the song, a glint of blonde coming in from the door in the corner of the room caught her eye. She watched Emma as she looked around and then smiled at Regina when she saw her on stage.

Emma walked over and grabbed a seat at the bar, leaning her back against the counter as she watched Regina finish her song. From the moment Emma sat down, Regina rarely broke their eye contact, only doing so long enough to play to the room before settling back on the blonde. Emma was very captivated with what she heard – she had no idea Regina could sing like that. Not to mention, she looked the part. Emma took the opportunity to study Regina as she performed on stage. She was wearing black stiletto pumps, black distressed skinny jeans and a loose burgundy racerback tank with a simple quartz-like gemstone pendent necklace. As Regina turned her body to sing to the audience on one side of the stage, Emma could see a bit of her black lace bra peeking out the side of her top. Regina somehow managed to strike the perfect balance of feminine, sexy, and badass rockstar. Emma suddenly felt under-dressed in her dark denim and black v-neck tee, but when she left home for the theater and grabbed a change of clothes, she wasn't exactly planning on going out with anyone other than Killian for a quick post-show beer.

As soon as Regina finished, the room enthusiastically applauded and she headed over to the bar. "I'm glad you could make it," she said as she flagged down the bartender.

"Thank you for inviting me. You were great up there, by the way. Excellent choice."

"Thanks. I figured you can't go wrong with Linda Perry. Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh, sure. A vodka soda would be great. And thank you for the flowers and chocolate. That was very thoughtful and a complete surprise."

Regina smiled and ordered their drinks, placing her hand briefly on Emma's forearm that was resting on the bar. "You're very welcome. How did the performance go?"

"Oh, it went really well. We had a sold out show, which was unexpected."

"Emma, that's wonderful. Congratulations!" Regina said, genuinely excited for Emma as she pulled her into a quick hug. Emma barely had time to reciprocate before the bartender handed them their drinks. Regina grabbed hers and motioned for Emma to stand up. "Come, I'll introduce you to everyone." She was led to the back the room, where the _Frozen Mirror_ cast had taken over several tables and a black leather L-shaped sofa in the corner. Regina quickly introduced Emma to her friends before taking her seat at the table and signaling Emma to grab the stool next to hers. "So, I take it Killian couldn't make it?"

Emma shook her head. "He's still out with some of our dancers for a late dinner. He said he might try to stop by later."

"Have you eaten? We called in a huge order of pizza a while ago so you're welcome to help yourself when they get here."

"I'm always up for pizza." Emma watched as Belle was called to the stage and began singing a Taylor Swift song, the name of which Emma couldn't quite remember off the top of her head. "This place is great," she commented. "I've lived in the area for years but I never knew this was here."

Regina smiled. "Yeah, David and Mary Margaret stumbled upon it at Comic-Con a few years ago when we were in town. They came for the salsa dancing nightclub upstairs, but then accidentally ended up down here when they were looking for the bathrooms. We're all big karaoke fans, so we always end up here whenever we're in Portland. It's not well advertised, so it's a little hidden gem. We can hang out without people bothering us, and it's far enough away from the convention center that most attendees wouldn't come here anyway."

Emma nodded. "Okay, I have to ask…" she paused looking at Regina, who stared back at her with an eyebrow raised as she sipped on her straw. "How did you know where my show was and about my company? How do you know who Killian is?"

Regina laughed. "Ahh, yes. Well, your friends came to the autograph signing yesterday. Ruby said she wanted to get her friend Emma Swan an autograph and she mentioned that you were at the Portland Arts Center rehearsing for your show. Once I knew that, Google was quite helpful and led me to your company's website."

Emma smiled. "Well, that's some remarkable cyber-sleuthing on your part. I take it that's how you found my Instagram account, too?"

Regina nodded, slightly embarrassed. She considered lying and just saying that she saw the photo in her own notifications, but she decided to be honest. She assumed she was already sounding a little sketchy, so there was no harm in going one step further. "Yep. The website linked to your company's Instagram account, and from there it was easy to find yours since you were tagged in almost everything. I have to say, I'm really impressed by your work. I watched a few of the rehearsal and performance videos you guys posted. I danced for a while when I was growing up, so I love seeing what different companies do. You're really talented." Regina found Emma's hand under the table and gave it a quick squeeze before letting go.

"Thank you, Regina. That means a lot."

Changing the subject to fill the momentarily awkward silence that clung in the air, Regina asked Emma if she was going to sing, but when Emma hesitated she said, "Come on, you have to."

Emma laughed and looked through the binder of songs that still sat open on their table in front of Regina, leaning closer to get a better look. Their shoulders brushed as they hovered over the song book, flipping through the pages and trying not to react to their close proximity. "I have no idea what I would even sing," Emma said. "I haven't sung on stage since my middle school production of 'Our Town.'"

Regina looked surprised at that revelation. "Really?"

"Really. So, if I sing something you have to promise not to judge me." Emma narrowed her eyes at Regina and held up a finger in warning.

Regina lightly slapped Emma's finger away and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I promise."

* * *

Emma finally worked up the courage to get on stage, and Regina was completely blown away by her version of "I'm the Only One" by Melissa Etheridge. "Okay, are you fucking kidding me? You made it sound like you weren't sure you could carry a tune, but then you go up there and do that?" Regina mock-scolded her when Emma returned to their table. "If you ever need a new career, I think you found it."

"Regina's right, Emma," Zelena chimed in. "You were amazing."

Emma blushed. "Thanks. It's been awhile. I had forgotten how much I love it."

Regina smiled and lightly placed her hand on Emma's thigh, gently squeezing it. "Come on, they just delivered the pizza." They made their way over to the sofa in the corner, where five large pizza boxes had been set down on the coffee table. Belle and Graham shifted over, making room for Emma and Regina to sit down on the far end of the sofa as they each grabbed a slice.

Zelena joined them moments later, returning with a tray of shot glasses and setting them down on the table. "Alright guys, drink up," she said, passing a shot to Emma and Regina before handing a glass to the others on the couch and leading them in a toast. "To friends, pizza, drinking, and charging our tab to Robert Gold. Cheers!" They laughed as they clinked their shot glasses before tossing them back.

"Who's Robert Gold?" Emma asked Regina, putting her empty shot glass back on the tray and taking a bite of her pizza.

"One of the creators and producers of our show," Regina said. "He's a brilliant man, but kind of an asshole at times. I have no doubt that Zelena will somehow manipulate him into paying the tab we're racking up right now."

Emma nodded. "So, are you going to sing again? I only caught the tail end of yours, so it only seems fair to make you get up there again."

Regina smirked. "Perhaps. Go grab the book and let's see." Emma happily got up and retrieved it, sitting back down on the sofa and handing it to Regina. Regina had shifted in her seat slightly, moving closer to Emma and placing the open book in her lap. "Any requests?"

Emma subconsciously pressed into Regina's side as she reached over to flip back a few pages and pointed to a song title. "This one."

Regina turned her head to look at Emma and saw her smiling. "Alright. I'll do it, on one condition." Emma raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly in question. "Sing it with me."

"Seriously?"

"Mmhmm. It's kind of a duet anyway. We'll make it work."

Emma didn't need to be asked twice. "Okay."

"Good. I'll go put it in the queue." Regina stood up and walked over to the DJ booth, just as Killian texted Emma to say that he just walked in.

"I'll be right back. Save my spot," Emma quickly excused herself as Regina sat back down. She met Killian at the bar, and after he grabbed a beer she led him back where they were sitting. Emma told him to pull up a chair as she sat back down on the couch next to Regina. She quickly introduced him to most of the group, except for Belle and Zelena who were up on stage doing their best Lady Gaga and Beyoncé impressions, rather unsuccessfully.

"It's nice to meet you, Killian, I'm glad you could join us," Regina said as he sat down.

"Thank you for extending the invitation."

"You should know, though, that there are rules. Everyone here must sing. No exceptions," she said, tossing the song book to him.

"Careful what you wish for, love. This entire bar might just fall in love with me if I do," he winked.

Regina laughed and then turned to Emma, "Is he always like this?"

"Yes. He's insufferable, isn't he?"

"Meh, he seems okay," she said, still laughing.

"Swan, are you singing?" Killian interrupted Emma's thoughts.

"She already did a solo," Regina started, "but I talked her into doing a duet in a bit."

"Yeah, you missed out on my big debut, dude," Emma teased.

"What are you two singing? Something raunchy, I hope?"

Emma sent him a glare. "You'll just have to wait and see."

A few minutes later, Zelena and Belle returned to the group while Mary Margaret and David prepared to go up for their duet. "Emma, who's your friend?" Zelena asked as she came over.

"Oh, this is Killian. Killian, this is Zelena and that's Belle," she said.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Zelena asked. At that question, Regina turned to look at Emma and then over to Killian. She knew he was her dance and business partner, but she never thought that he and Emma might be a couple. If she was being honest, prior to that night she had assumed he was gay, but after meeting him and seeing how flirtatious he was, she realized her assumption was off-base.

Emma snorted as she sipped her drink, trying not to choke. "Oh, God no."

"Wow, Swan, could you try to say that with a little more disgust in your voice?" Killian asked, feigning offense.

"Killian is like my brother," she added. Emma thought she heard Regina exhale a little louder than usual next to her, but she couldn't be sure.

"Oh, so are you single then, Killian?" Zelena asked. She sat down on the coffee table next to his chair, crossing her legs and leaning forward to rest her chin on her hand, revealing more of her cleavage.

"Indeed I am," he said, turning slightly in his chair to face her.

"Oh good God," Regina sighed as she leaned back against the sofa while Emma bit her lip to hold back a laugh.

Emma copied Regina's actions, sinking back into the couch and resting her head against the wall behind her. "Is Zelena single?" Emma quietly asked Regina, as she nodded toward the pair who were now openly flirting, Zelena's hand resting on Killian's knee.

"As of about 10 days ago, yes," Regina answered, staring at her on-screen sister who had never mastered the art of subtlety.

"Well, it will be interesting to see this play out."

Regina looked over at Emma. "Should I be worried about her?"

"Oh, no, not at all. He's harmless…a giant flirt, but harmless. He can actually be quite the gentleman, but he likes to put on a show, too."

"Typical performer, eh?" Regina joked, lightly nudging Emma with her shoulder.

"You would know," she retorted, smirking.

"C'mon, let's get another drink before we have to go up there again," Regina said, grabbing Emma's right wrist and pulling her off the couch to lead her over to the bar.

* * *

Before they knew it, Regina and Emma were on stage and halfway through "Total Eclipse of the Heart." They alternated between being completely serious and dramatic and cracking up. Emma extended a hand to Regina and then led her around the small stage in a series of turns before Regina pulled Emma into her for something vaguely resembling a slow waltz when the song slowed down for the final verse. Despite their antics, they sounded great together. They finished the song and Regina gave her a small side hug before heading off stage.

"Nice job, Swan, but you two have nothing on me," Killian said as he took the mic from Emma and took his place on the stage. She laughed as she and Regina went back to their seats, collapsing into the cushions next to where Zelena and Belle were now sitting.

As soon as the first few notes of the song started, Emma laughed. "Oh, of course," she said to no one in particular.

"What?" Regina asked looking over at her.

"Just wait for it." Sure enough, moments later Killian started belting out George Michael's "I Want Your Sex," purposefully making eye contact with every woman in the audience and pantomiming the lyrics.

"You know, that's actually a little bit creepy," Regina commented as she watched Killian stare down Zelena as he sang the chorus.

"Hmm…you do realize that you rarely broke eye contact with me during your first song?" Emma accused Regina with a flirtatious grin.

"I beg to differ. I noticed that you came in and I wanted to acknowledge your presence. I wasn't eye-fucking everyone in the bar," she said.

"No, you were just eye-fucking one person," Zelena whispered into Regina's ear. "You might want to be a bit more cautious about that, my dear."

"Funny."

"Hey, I'm just trying to look out for you. Gold didn't seem too happy with you yesterday when he noticed your doting husband wasn't here. Where is dear sweet Robbie, by the way?"

"Preparing for a major event in Montréal," Regina said quickly, almost too rehearsed. Zelena just shrugged before looking back at Killian on stage. He made a "come hither" motion with his finger, and Zelena went up on stage with him as he finished.

When his song was over, Killian and Zelena made their way back to rejoin the others in the corner. "I think I have you beat, Swan," he said. "The people love me."

Emma rolled her eyes. "That was certainly something, Killian."

"Zelena, may I buy you another drink, love?" He asked, playing up his charming accent and offering her his hand.

"I won't say no to that," she placed her hand in his as he bent down to quickly kiss her knuckles before leading her to the bar.

"Well, I'm guessing she won't be going back to the hotel alone," Regina said, watching as her friend followed Killian over to the bar.

"Probably not. But, she could do a lot worse," Emma added. She looked down at her watch. "Damn it, it's already after midnight. I should get going."

"Oh, okay. I didn't realize it was that late," Regina said.

"I didn't either. I need to get some rest though since I have one more show to get through tomorrow. I'm still on an adrenaline high from tonight's show, but I'm sure I'll need to crash soon."

"Of course, I'll walk you out." Regina stood up as Emma quickly said goodbye to the rest of the group, stopping to hug Killian as they passed by each other. Regina led Emma through the front door of the lounge and into the secluded hallway, stopping just before the stairs the led to the salsa club and the outside.

"Thank you, Regina, for inviting us tonight. I had a lot of fun and it was great to see you again and meet everyone," Emma said, hoping that she wasn't rambling. Their conversation had been so easy all night, but suddenly she was very aware that they were alone and that Regina was someone she watched on TV each week, and she was therefore very nervous.

Regina just smiled. "I'm glad you were able to come…I don't think any of them would have agreed to sing Bonnie Tyler with me. Plus, I'm sure Zelena is thrilled that you convinced Killian to come out."

"Yeah…I hope that doesn't end badly."

Regina laughed. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Zelena's a big girl; she can handle herself. I'd be more concerned about Killian, if I were you. She might eat him alive."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," she said, flicking her eyes back toward the lounge door. "Alright, well, I should head out."

"Do you need to call a cab to get back to the theater or anything?" Regina asked, subconsciously wanting to prolong their time together.

"My car's outside. I ended up driving over since I wasn't sure how late I'd be staying."

"Oh, perfect," she said, for lack of anything else to say. "Well, thank you for coming by tonight. Drive safe and have a great show tomorrow." Regina opened her arms and pulled Emma into a hug, which was happily reciprocated as Emma wrapped her arms around the shorter woman. As they started to pull away Regina decided to give her a quick and innocent kiss on the cheek, figuring she could blame it on being around Europeans all the time if Emma questioned it. Emma blushed, but said nothing.

"Thanks. Enjoy the rest of the Con," Emma said as she fully dropped her hands from where they were still lingering on Regina's forearms and turned to walk up the steps.

"Emma, wait a second."

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"Let me see your phone." Emma looked at her with a curious expression on her face, but quickly unlocked her phone and handed it to Regina. Regina took out her own and did the same, before expertly navigating through Emma's phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Relax, nothing shady. Hang on." Regina held her own phone above Emma's, appearing to take a photo of something, and then handed the phone back to a very confused Emma. "I just added you on Snapchat. Now we can message each other, if you want. I would have just given you my number, but there are some people who would kill me if they found out I did."

Emma smiled as she put her phone back in her purse. "Well, we can't have that. And thanks. I may take you up on that. Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma." Regina watched as Emma walked up the stairs and through the exit before Regina turned around to back into the karaoke lounge. Almost immediately she felt her phone, which was still in her hand, vibrate. She looked down and saw _Emma Swan has sent a snap_ pop up on her screen. She opened the app and smiled as she read the short message: _Hi_ _:)_

* * *

 **A/N:** Happy Once day! Now that Regina and Emma have met in person again, things will pick up. There are still three days left of Comic-Con in this universe, so there's a lot more to come. **  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Playing Hooky

Emma woke up the next morning in a daze, the events of last night replaying in her mind. Two days ago she had woken up and gone to the theater for her rehearsals and made the random decision to run to Starbucks. She never imagined that a cup of coffee would lead her to spending her Friday night hanging out with the cast of her favorite show. Mostly, she couldn't believe how natural it felt and how drawn was to Regina. The feeling confused her because she didn't usually connect with people in such a visceral way, especially other women. While she had a few female friends, she kept them all at an arm's length. Growing up in a very competitive dance environment and then dealing with some personal tragedies as a teenager made her reluctant to open up to other people, particularly women. However, there was something about Regina Mills that intrigued her, and she wanted to find out more.

She finally rolled herself out of bed a little before noon, swearing under her breath at how late she slept. Normally she was an early riser, but the stress and excitement of the week had clearly taken a toll on her. After showering and making herself a grilled cheese sandwich, she scrolled through the videos from last's night show on her phone, making notes to share with her cast before tonight. She had to pause several times due to interruptions, including a text from Killian that included a selfie of him in what Emma assumed was a hotel room bed. She laughed to herself as she texted back a cheeky reply before resuming her work. Shortly thereafter, she saw that Regina had sent her a snap. When she opened the app, she was surprised to see several messages from Regina. A few were just photos from the Con that she had also posted to her public feed, but she also had sent a few private messages as well: _You made a good call leaving when you did last night. We stayed until 2am and now I'm dying. The coffee here is shit._

Emma quickly replied with a picture of her holding her cup of steaming coffee: _Jealous?_

The reply was instant: _Tease._

Emma laughed, only to then realize that she hadn't actually finished getting dressed yet. She was just wearing her lace bralette, which would have been clearly visible in the photo. _Shit. That's embarrassing,_ she thought to herself. They continued to text back and forth until Emma had to drive downtown to the theater.

* * *

"God, I love you, Tink. Thank you," Regina said as she grabbed a cup of coffee from the production assistant who had offered to go on a coffee run while Regina finished up her solo panel. "You're the best."

Zelena sat down in the chair next to Regina in their green room as she opened the lid on her salad container. "So, did you have fun last night?"

Regina nodded. "I did. It was great to go out and do something not related to Comic-Con for a night, and I love that place."

"That's it?" Zelena asked, eyeing the brunette.

"What?"

"That's all you enjoyed last night? The new pretty blonde who joined our group had nothing to do with it?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Emma's fun to be around. I enjoyed having her there, if that's what you're getting at. But, not nearly as much as you enjoyed her friend Killian, if him sneaking out of your room this morning is any indication."

Zelena looked horrified. "Shit, you saw that?"

Regina nodded as she took a slow drink from her coffee cup. "Yep."

Zelena brushed it off. "Oh. Well, in that case, yes, he was _very_ enjoyable. Please thank Emma for me."

Regina wrinkled her nose in disgust before replying to Emma, relaying Zelena's message: _Zelena says "thank you" for bringing Killian. Apparently she "enjoyed" him thoroughly last night_. Regina laughed when she got a one word reply: _gross_ , followed by the vomiting emoji.

"Are you going to try to hang out with her again before we leave?"

Regina looked up from her phone and shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably not. She has her show tonight and we have that network cocktail party anyway, and God only knows how long they'll make us stick around sucking up to executives."

Zelena laughed. "Well, at least there's good food and an open bar."

"That is true," Regina said, scrolling through Instagram and looking at some of the pictures and videos she and the rest of her cast posted from the karaoke bar, laughing at the video Belle posted of a drunk Mary-Margaret and David making out on stage while they were supposed to be singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." Somehow she had missed that moment last night.

* * *

Dressed in a short navy leather dress, Regina stood with Graham, Daniel, and Daniel's wife at the hotel bar. As promised, they had arrived right on time to the cocktail party the network was throwing in honor of their show and the others appearing at Comic-Con. "So, how long do we have to stand here like trophies?" Graham asked impatiently.

Regina grabbed his wrist and looked at his watch. "It's only been five minutes. I think we have to stick it out a little longer than that."

"Indeed you do, dearies," Gold said as he approached the group. "I expect you all to be on your best behavior and stay for the entire evening. Even though we're all on the same network, we're still competing with the other shows here. We need to be well-represented if we want to ensure the network's continued support…and your jobs."

The trio of actors nodded as Gold excused himself to go get a drink. Regina picked up her martini off the bar and took a long drink. "So Graham, where's your better half tonight? I miss her."

"Visiting her parents back in Ireland. What about yours?"

"Restaurant business in Montréal."

"Regina, dear, a word please?" She felt Gold grab her elbow and start to pull her aside. She quickly excused herself from the group and followed him to the corner of the bar, downing the rest of her martini and depositing the empty glass on the bar on her way.

"What now?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know, you clearly have a type," he said, resting both of his hands on the top of his cane and standing up straight. Despite being several inches shorter than her in her heels, he still managed to cast an air of intimidation around him.

"I'm sorry?" She asked, annoyed by his tendency to speak in riddles.

"Pretty blondes."

At that Regina tensed for just a moment, but quickly recovered. "Again, what?"

"Regina, when will you learn that there are eyes everywhere? You should know this by now. You can never get too comfortable." She stood there and stared at him while she tried to scroll through her memory of the previous night for any indication of suspicious behavior. The only thing she could think of was when she kissed Emma on the check on the way out, but she knew the hallway was completely empty – she had checked – so there was no way that could be it. Her question was soon answered as Gold pulled out his phone. "Take a look."

Regina scrolled through the images Gold had saved. Some fans at the bar at posted a handful of photos they had taken with various members of the cast – Belle, Mary-Margaret, David, and Graham. In the background of the photographs, behind the posed smiling cast members, Regina was sitting next to Emma on the couch. In the first image she had her hand on Emma's knee. In the second, Emma was whispering something in her ear, but because it was dark it could easily be misconstrued as a kiss. The third photograph showed Regina holding Emma's hand to head to the bar for a drink before their duet. She sighed and handed the phone back to Gold. "I don't know what you want me to say, Gold. Nothing happened. There's nothing going on there. Plus, you can barely even tell it's me in the background. I doubt anyone is paying that close of attention."

"Really, dearie? Take another look at the comments on the photo. And, whoever posted it tagged you in it, so there's no doubt people have seen it." She scrolled through and rolled her eyes at the comments asking who the blonde woman was and a handful of ' _OMG does she have a secret girlfriend? I knew it!'_

"Fine. What do you want me to do?" She asked, once again shoving the phone back to him.

"Who is she? Is that the same girl from the photo you posted yesterday?"

"Yes. She and her friend Killian have a dance company that's performing at the theater down the street, so they came to the karaoke bar last night after their opening night to celebrate. I recognized her and invited them to hang out with us," Regina knew she wasn't exactly telling the truth, but he didn't need to know the full story since it would help prove his point rather than hers. This version of events would hopefully calm him a bit. Gold looked at her like he was trying to decide whether there was more to that story. She decided to continue, in an effort to assuage his fears. "Gold, do you really think if I was having some secret lesbian affair that I would parade her around in front of the cast in a public place? Hell, if I was having an affair I would be holed up in my hotel room having constant mind-blowing sex. I wouldn't waste what little free time I'd have with the person by being out in public."

Regina waited and held her breath to see if that impromptu addition helped or hurt matters. She sighed in relief when Gold nodded. "Perhaps, but you need to do damage control and you need to do it quickly. And you need to be much more careful. A few of the network heads have been asking what's going on. We cannot have that," he said, punctuating each word.

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"Post your own photos from last night, preferably any you have with Belle or Zelena where you're hugging each other to make it look like that's your natural interaction with your friends. And if you don't have any like that, stage some tonight while you're all here. Reiterate that this woman is a fan you bumped into. Have her post photos with that Killian guy that make it look like they're together. Do whatever you need to in order to reassure everyone that you are nothing but a loving, faithful wife to Robin."

Regina felt her heart sink into her stomach at those words. She steadied herself and acquiesced. "Okay, I will." She turned to go find one of her female castmates to get the picture Gold requested.

* * *

Regina didn't know what she was doing, but she knew she had to get out of there. She was halfway down the street before she even realized she had walked out of the party. Sometime after the first round of appetizers made their way around the room and her second drink, she bolted, managing to slip out unnoticed. _Shit, Gold is going to kill me. Or worse, fire me. Or both,_ she thought to herself as she came to an intersection a few blocks away, spotting the Starbucks she had escaped to a few days ago across the street. There were still people sitting inside, so she knew it couldn't be that late. Standing on the corner and waiting for the light to change, she looked at her surroundings and tried to decide what to do. If she was smart, she would have just gone up to her room, ordered a movie or pulled out her book and called it a night. But no, she suddenly decided that she wanted to literally run from her problems, and now she was wandering aimlessly around an unfamiliar city.

Her temporary stupor was interrupted when a group of teenagers started to cross the street and walk toward her. "Oh my God, you're Regina Mills from _Frozen Mirror!"_ one of the girls exclaimed, as the group started to speed up toward her, running the last few yards to make it across the intersection.

Regina bit back a laugh as she noticed that the girls were attempting to run in heels that were much too high, causing them to awkwardly shuffle and wobble as they tried not to fall. _It's like watching Bambi learn how to walk_ , she thought. "Yes, I am. Hi."

"Could we get a picture with you, please?"

Regina nodded. "Of course." The girls quickly gathered around her, took a few selfies, and then thanked her before giggling as they continued down the street. It was then that something caught her eye in the distance – the lit-up marquee for the Portland Arts Center. She smiled and pulled out her phone to check the time. It was only 7:30, which meant that Emma's performance was probably around the halfway point. She started walking toward the theater, frowning when she got there and realized that the box office was closed. She waited around a few minutes and perked up when the audience started coming out into the lobby and the front doors opened. "Excuse me," she asked a woman who exited the theater and took out a cigarette. "Is the show over already or is it intermission?"

The woman barely looked at Regina as she took out her lighter. "Intermission."

Regina smiled. She walked into the lobby and hoped this might be like other small theaters where the ushers don't bother asking for tickets to enter the theater once intermission begins. She smiled when she was able to walk right in, picking up a program from the extra stack that was sitting by the unmanned door. She remembered Emma mentioning it was sold out the night before, so she didn't dare sit down, not wanting to accidentally take someone's seat and cause any problems. She leaned against the back wall of the aisle, flipping through the program and reading the list of pieces and cast biographies. She was impressed to see that Emma and Killian choreographed the majority of the pieces, including the three still to be performed in the second half. When the house lights flickered indicating the end of intermission, she found a vacant seat in the back and sat down.

* * *

As the curtain came down and the lights in the theater turned back on, Regina found herself wiping tears from her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so affected by a piece of art, but Emma and Killian had created something very special. She collected herself for a moment and headed back to the lobby, noticing several text messages from Gold asking where she went. She texted back saying she had a migraine and had gone back to her room, hoping that would placate him and he would leave her alone for the rest of the night. Slipping her phone back into her purse, she saw Killian enter the lobby, making his way through the crowd to greet the patrons. She walked over to him and tapped his shoulder, giving him a hug of congratulations when he turned around.

"Regina, love, what are you doing here?"

"I may have snuck out of a party to come see what you and Emma have been up to," she said. "Where is your partner in crime, by the way?"

Killian gestured behind him. "Still back in the dressing rooms. It takes her a lot longer to get changed." Regina nodded in understanding. "Any chance you brought that TV sister of yours with you?" Killian wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, I'm afraid I didn't. Sorry. She is still at the party as far as I know."

"Killian!" He and Regina turned around to the voice and saw Ruby approach him, throwing herself into his arms, nearly tackling him. "You were amazing!"

"Nice work, man!" August said as he and Neal came up to the group. "I still don't know anything about dance, but I enjoyed it."

"Oh my God, Regina! You're here!" Ruby said as she noticed the brunette standing next to Killian.

"I am. I figured I would check out the local performance scene while I'm in town and catch a show."

Ruby raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And you happened to select Emma and Killian's?"

Regina laughed. "Well, I've heard good things, and it's within walking distance."

Just then, Emma came up to the group and hugged Ruby. "Thank you so much for coming guys!" She said as she hugged Neal and August as well. Ruby nudged her and tried to make a sly gesture with her elbow to point to Regina, who Emma hadn't seen yet since her back had been to her. "Oh my God, Regina! I didn't expect to see you here," she said as she turned to face her.

"Well, I wanted to see it for myself. I only got to see the second half, but you were outstanding, Emma. You both were," she said as she hugged her, lingering a bit longer than necessary.

"Thank you, Regina. I still can't believe you came," she said as they finally separated. "Oh, sorry I'm all sweaty." Regina just laughed as she moved to stand closer to the blonde, their hands by their sides but almost touching. Emma continued to talk with her friends, while Regina took the opportunity to subtly take in the woman standing next to her. It was true, she did still have the post-show sweaty glow from performing vigorous movement under bright stage lights, but she looked radiant. Her hair was still pulled back in the braided bun she had worn during the show, but she had thrown on a short olive green romper with a three-quarter length lightweight black leather jacket and black peep-toe booties. It was a much different look than the denim and tee she had worn the night before to karaoke, so Regina assumed this meant Emma had plans to go out after the show.

"Would you like to join us, Regina?" Emma asked.

Regina blinked herself back to the present. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I saw someone I knew over there so I got distracted," Regina lied, not wanting to admit she hadn't been paying attention because she was checking her out. "What did you say?"

Emma smirked, guessing that Regina's distraction excuse wasn't completely legitimate but deciding not to call her on it. "We're all going out for drinks and a quick bite at this place in Storybrooke. Would you like to come?"

Regina looked puzzled. "What's Storybrooke?"

"It's where Killian and I live. It's this small little town about a half hour from here."

Regina looked quickly at her phone. It was only a little after 8:00, so she had plenty of time. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Great!" Ruby clapped her hands. "We need to go back to our Neal's place to pick up our car, but we'll meet you guys there."

Emma nodded. "Sounds good." Turning to Regina, she asked, "Do you have a car here or would you like a ride?"

Regina nodded. "A ride would be great."

"Perfect. Well, follow me, then." Emma led Regina back through the theater and out the back exit to the employee lot, unlocking her yellow Volkswagon and opening the passenger side door for Regina. "Don't mock the car," she warned as Regina slipped inside.

"I wouldn't dare," she laughed as Emma threw her dance bag in the back seat and climbed in. "I actually think it's quite cute." She felt her phone vibrating and saw an incoming call from Robert Gold. She quickly pressed the "reject call" button and threw it back in her purse.

Emma smiled. "Thanks. It was my first purchase when I moved out of the city. After living in a world of nothing but grey and black and concrete for years, I wanted to compensate and go bold. It was a bit of an impulsive decision, but I kind of love it. I almost crashed it like five times on the drive to Maine, because I hadn't really driven in almost a decade of living in New York."

Regina looked over at Emma as they pulled onto the highway. "Umm, you do know what you're doing now, though, right? I don't want to die in your car tonight."

Emma chuckled. "I've lived here for over three years now. I've had a lot of practice," she said as she placed a reassuring hand on Regina's exposed knee, surprising both of them and causing her to quickly remove it.

The two continued to talk on the drive, heading north from Portland and across the bridge to Storybrooke. Regina asked her questions about her company and the performance, telling Emma once again how moved she was by the dances and that she wished she could have seen the full show. Regina explained that she grew up dancing, but at the age of 12 when it was clear she wasn't on track to be a professional ballerina, her mother made her quit and focus on acting instead. "Wow, really?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded. "She's a perfectionist in every way. As her only child, she transferred that mindset on to me. I was a strong dancer growing up, but I never really wanted to be a ballerina. I didn't have the passion for pointe the way I needed to if I were to pursue it professionally, but she saw potential and pushed me to do it. I preferred jazz and modern, but at that time those weren't as 'promising' for a career in dance. When I started falling behind the other girls in my pointe classes, my mother decided I should quit dance all together because it wasn't a worthwhile pursuit anymore. If I couldn't be the best, I shouldn't waste my time."

"Oh, that's depressing."

"It was. I cried for days." Regina let out a small, forced laugh. "But, it worked out. I always enjoyed acting in school plays, so when I quit dance she signed me up for theater camp and auditions and found me an agent so I could start doing commercials. I loved being able to express myself on stage, and theater gave me a venue to do it. In the end it all worked out. I love what I do. But, I still really miss dancing, which is why I love going to see companies perform."

"Well, I'm so glad you were able to make it tonight. And, I think you should take some classes just for fun. It's never too late to get back into it."

Regina laughed. "I don't know about that. I've forgotten everything I learned as a kid. I'm pretty sure I would suck."

Emma smiled. "You'd be surprised what muscle memory can do. I teach an adult ballet class and a modern class every summer. If you're ever back in town you should drop in and try one out. I'd love to have you in a class."

Regina considered it for a moment. "That actually sounds like it would be a lot of fun. I'll see if I can adjust my schedule sometime soon."

Emma pulled off the highway and after a few turns she ended up on Main Street, slowing her car to a stop in front of Aesop's Table. "We're here."

Regina unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, taking in the small gastropub on the corner of the intersection. Across the street she could see a small diner, some boutiques, a record store, and an antique store. There wasn't much else within her line of vision. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said it was a small town. It's really quaint. I like it."

Emma nodded as she walked around the front of the car to join Regina. "Yeah, it's definitely very tiny. I'm not even sure it qualifies as a 'town.' Perhaps 'village' is more accurate. This is pretty much the only place worth going to on a Friday night, unless you're feeling the need to get completely sloshed, in which case The Rabbit Hole is the dive bar at the other end of Main Street." Emma opened the door for Regina as they walked inside, already finding Killian standing at the bar and talking with the bartender.

"You made it!" He said, pulling Regina and Emma into a hug simultaneously.

"We did," Emma laughed. "And clearly you've already started the party without us," she nodded toward the half-finished pint of beer in his hand and empty shot glass on the counter.

"Of course I did. I can't sit in a bar and not have a drink in my hand. That would be rude to our bartender. And speaking of, what can I get you ladies?"

Emma turned to Regina, who was looking annoyed as she checked her phone and put it back in her purse. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah. Just one of the producers keeps texting me and giving me shit for leaving the party early."

"Oh, do you need to go back?" Emma looked dejected.

"Oh, no. I texted them earlier and told them I had a migraine. I just had to get out of the convention area for a bit. I couldn't handle another night of sucking up to the network heads."

"Okay, good," Emma said, her smile returning to her face as she nudged Regina's side. "What would you like to drink?"

"A beer would be great. But, first round is on me." After a bit of arguing and Regina making it clear she wasn't going to back down, Emma gave in. A few minutes later they were all drinking a pint of the pale ale that the owner brews in the basement of the pub, as Neal, August, and Ruby made their way into the bar.

* * *

An hour or so and several drinks later, the group was finishing up their dinner in a corner booth in the back of the pub. It wasn't even 10:00 yet, so there was a lull in the crowd as the folks who came for dinner had left, but the late-night customers had not yet arrived. August challenged Killian to a game of pool, which Neal and Ruby quickly joined, leaving Emma and Regina alone at the table. "So, what made you and Killian decide to move to Storybrooke?"

Emma reached for the last few fries as she answered. "It was really his decision, since I didn't have much of a preference. He and Neal were best friends growing up, and Neal had moved to Portland, so he decided to settle up here. Portland has a bit of a performing arts scene, but not huge, so we figured we could offer something new and people would be receptive, without having to compete with tons of other companies. Portland was a bit out of our price range, though, so Killian had heard about this town from Neal, who has family in the next town over. It was much more affordable so we set up shop here, but we're close enough to Portland to be able to do shows there."

Regina nodded in understanding. "It looks like a great place to take refuge after years in the city."

"It is. It definitely took some adjustment since I have lived in large cities most of my life, but I love it."

"So do you and Killian live together, then?"

"Oh God, no. We would kill each other if we had to live together and work together all the time. I live in a small loft studio apartment down the street, and Killian is in a building a few streets over. We need our own space, especially since he's a bit of a playboy. I really don't need to spend every morning having coffee with his flavor of the week."

Regina thought back to seeing Killian sneak out of Zelena's hotel room early that morning. "Ha, you don't say?"

"Being a straight male ballet dancer has been a surprisingly effective tool for picking up women for him. Who knew so many women would want to go after a man in tights?" Emma said, causing Regina to laugh. "Since the pool table is currently occupied by the worst pool players in history," Emma said, looking over at her friends who had yet to sink a single ball into a pocket," what do you say to a game of darts? Loser buys the next round?"

"You're on."

* * *

Emma owed Regina three drinks by the time she decided to admit defeat and bow to the darts champion. Neal, August, and Ruby had left to go back to Neal's apartment in Portland so they could be up early for an 8am panel they wanted to see the next day at Comic-Con, and Killian was on his way out with his ex-girlfriend who he ran into at the bar. "Are you okay to stay a bit longer or do you need to head back?" Emma asked after Killian had left, now that she and Regina were the only ones left from their group.

"It's only 10:30. I still have plenty of time. I have a later start tomorrow." Regina said as she gracefully downed one of the shots Emma bought her to reconcile her debt.

"Good," Emma said, taking her own shot and slamming the glass back down on the table. The pub was starting to become much more lively, with what appeared to be the majority of the town making their way inside. Emma noticed that Regina was starting to look around and her demeanor changed as the pub's patrons started staring at her. "Do you want to go somewhere else? It's starting to get a little crowded and I don't want people to bother you."

"Would you mind? Normally I wouldn't care, but since I told my producer I was up in my room with a migraine, if pictures start showing up of me out at a bar he'll give me hell about it, especially this far away from the convention center."

"Not at all. I already settled my tab just in case, so let's get out of here." Emma led Regina back through the entrance, and fortunately was able to do so without anyone stopping to ask for an autograph or selfie.

"Thanks," Regina said as they stepped back out into the cool breeze. "Where to?"

"Oh, well aside from the dive bar, there's not really anything else that's still open. That's the one downside to living in a town with a population of 236."

"Oh," Regina looked down at her feet awkwardly, not wanting the evening to end just yet.

"I can drive you back to Portland and we can go out someplace there, if you'd like. That way if you get caught you can just say you were feeling better and decided to go out." Emma paused, trying to gauge Regina's reaction, but the brunette wasn't giving anything away. "If you want to hang out in my humble town a bit longer we can walk around a bit, or if you want to come up to my apartment we can watch a movie or something. Plus, I still owe you two drinks and I definitely have liquor."

Regina smiled. "I don't want to go back to Portland yet. I'd love to see more of this town you call home."

* * *

 **A/N:** To be continued...this is the longest chapter thus far, and the night is far from over. Once again, thanks to all the reviewers (especially guest Amx who I can't respond to directly since the review is posted as a guest, but has reviewed every chapter. Thank you!)


	6. Chapter 6: Vinyl Nights

After a very short walk and tour of Main Street, which was really all there was to see in Storybrooke, Emma led Regina to the closed coffee shop on the corner, opening an unmarked door just to the left of the main entrance. Regina followed Emma up the narrow staircase to the second floor and down the hall until they stopped outside her door. "Welcome to my humble abode," she said, turning the key and pushing open the door so Regina could step inside. Immediately Regina almost tripped over a meowing grey cat, who had run to the door to greet them. "Oh, sorry about that. Regina, meet Adagio. You're not allergic to cats, are you?"

Regina laughed as Emma picked up the feline. "Not at all. I had two growing up. I love them." Regina extended her finger out to let the cat smell her before scratching her behind the ears, prompting a very loud purr to emanate from the cat in Emma's arms.

"Well, Adagio seems to give you her seal of approval," Emma said, setting the cat down on the floor as she went over to the fridge to feed her. "I still owe you a few drinks since you kicked my ass at darts. I have cheap wine from Trader Joe's, both white and red varieties, or a pretty decent bottle of scotch. Any preference?"

"Either the red or scotch is fine with me."

"Perfect. The red wine is already open so we can polish off that, and then go to the hard stuff a little later."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit presumptuous of you, isn't it?" When Emma was about to apologize for assuming she would stay long enough for multiple drinks, Regina winked at her and laughed. As Emma poured two glasses of wine, Regina took in the modest loft apartment. While it wasn't large in square footage, it had tall ceilings and plenty of windows, which made it feel light and open. The décor was very tasteful, a mix of modern elegance but with a bit of an edge…exactly what Regina would expect from the woman she had come to know over the past day and a half. The loft was a studio, so there was a double bed pushed against the back right corner under the windows, with a large cubed bookcase next to it separating it from the living area. The small living room contained a loveseat, small armchair, coffee table, and TV stand. There was a door on that wall, which Regina assumed led to the bathroom. The kitchen was on the opposite wall, with a small island that had two silver barstools neatly tucked under it. Regina smiled when she noticed the vase of tulips she had sent Emma on her opening night sitting on the center of the island. Beyond the kitchen and across from the bedroom area was an open space that Regina assumed was intended to be a dining area, but Emma had left empty except a large floor-length mirror, some Bluetooth speakers, and a rolled-up yoga mat. Regina realized that Emma must use that space to choreograph for her company. As she walked over, she noticed the walls were decorated with some photographs of Emma and Killian on stage, a pair of well-worn pointe shoes, and a framed advertisement from ABT's 2007 season.

"That was my first year with the company," Emma said, interrupting Regina's inspection of the poster on the wall as she handed her a glass of red wine.

"Thank you," Regina said as she accepted the wine and took a sip. "These photos are incredible. You and Killian have a such a commanding presence on stage."

Emma blushed. "I could say the same about you. You're so captivating on screen…and in person."

Regina smiled but was distracted by something out of the corner of her eye before she could respond to Emma's compliment. "Ah, so you are a Dead Head, then?" Regina asked with a smirk, gesturing with her wine glass toward the tie-dye dancing bear poster on the side of the refrigerator.

Emma gave Regina a puzzled look. "I am. Does that surprise you?"

"A little bit," Regina confessed. "When I was trying to find you the other day Google took me to a Facebook page, but the only thing I could see was a photo of a cat and the lyrics to 'Brokedown Palace.' I didn't think you were old enough to be a Grateful Dead fan so I assumed it was the wrong Emma Swan. But, clearly I was mistaken now that I've met Adagio and have seen your mini shrine to Jerry Garcia over there."

"I don't know whether to be freaked out or flattered that you put that much effort into finding me," Emma laughed.

"Well, what can I say? You definitely left an impression on me," Regina said.

Emma smiled. "Are you a Grateful Dead fan?"

Regina nodded. "I am. My parents were the original Dead Heads, especially my father. They played their albums all the time growing up, so I came to love them. What about you? You're far younger than the usual demographic."

"One of my first dance teachers saw them at Woodstock, and even though that was a disaster of a show, she became obsessed. She would use at least one of their songs every year in our recitals. Eventually, I was hooked. Plus, whenever I hear them I think of her. She's the first person who really gave me the confidence I needed to dance." She paused for a minute and then motioned for Regina to follow her. "Come with me."

Emma led Regina over to the bookcase that doubled as a room divider, where she noticed Emma had an extensive record collection and a vintage turntable sitting on one of the shelves. Emma ran her finger along the edges of the albums until she found what she was looking for, pulling out the cardboard cover and proudly holding it up on display. "Holy shit, you have 'American Beauty' on vinyl? That might be my favorite album of all time…maybe only second to Bowie's 'Heroes' album, but it's too close to call."

Emma continued to smile as she her hand expertly pulled out another record from the shelf without sparing a glance. "Oh, you mean this one?"

"Fuck!" Regina was in disbelief as she inspected the David Bowie album Emma just handed her. "I basically had this on repeat for the majority of my childhood."

Emma laughed. "Me, too." She took the album back from Regina and held up both. "Which one should I put on first?"

Regina studied her choices and pretended to deliberate before pointing to the Grateful Dead. "That one. "

Emma nodded. "Excellent choice." She set down both records and carefully put 'American Beauty' on her turntable, picking up her glass of wine as the familiar chords to "Box of Rain" crackled through the speakers.

"I'm trying to remember if I've ever listened to this album as an adult without being stoned. This may be a first," Regina commented.

"Unfortunately, I can't help you out with that tonight, unless you want me to call Killian over," Emma teased.

"Ha, I'll live. The music is good regardless," Regina winked.

Emma led Regina over to the living room and told her to make herself comfortable while she headed over the kitchen. She returned quickly to top off their wine glasses before tossing the empty Malbec bottle in the recycle bin. "Do you want anything to eat? I have a random assortment of snacks: pretzels, chips and guac, popcorn, ice cream…"

"No thanks. I'm still set from the wings and fries at the pub," Regina said, reclining back on the loveseat.

Emma nodded as she pulled something out from the freezer and picked up the bottle of scotch and two whiskey glasses as she walked back toward the living room. She set them down on the coffee table and took a seat in the chair, not wanting to crowd Regina on the loveseat.

"Okay, I understand the glasses and the scotch, but what's with the bag of peas? Is that some sort of Maine cocktail thing?" Regina looked perplexed as she tried to imagine using peas as an alternative to whiskey rocks.

Emma chuckled. "Oh no. This is for icing my foot. I had a stress fracture years ago that always acts up after intense weeks like these, so I just do this as a precaution," she said as she poured two glasses of scotch. "Do you want ice for this?" Regina shook her head. Emma then propped her left leg up on the coffee table and rested the bag of ice over the top of her foot as she grabbed her glass. "Sorry, this isn't normally how I entertain guests in my home."

Regina laughed as she tasted the scotch, humming at the pleasant taste. "No worries, dear. I remember all too well the pain that can come with dance injuries. So, what made you decide to leave New York? I know you said you chose Storybrooke because of Killian, but why leave the city at all?"

Emma leaned back in the chair as she told her story. "Honestly, it was just time. I had been in the ballet company for almost seven years and my contract was up. I was offered a renewal, but it was still for the corps de ballet. I was too old to advance much higher in the company at that point, and it was starting to take a toll on me physically," she said, pointing toward the frozen produce on her foot. "Killian had been a first soloist for a while but knew he wasn't likely to ever become a principal dancer. He was wanting to focus more on choreography, so he decided to venture out on his own. I've always loved working with him because creatively we have a similar aesthetic and vision, and we dance really well together. He asked if I would be interested in cofounding a company with him, so I figured it was too great of an opportunity to pass up. It's not often that you get the chance to do something like this with your best friend."

Regina nodded as she set her glass down on the table. "So were you two always close? Were you ever together?"

Emma laughed. "We met when I was 19 and joined the company. He had already been in the corps for two years at that point, so he showed me the ropes, especially because I never really bonded with any of the girls in the company. At first he was super flirtatious, but I was young and didn't want to risk screwing anything up by getting involved with someone I danced with, especially someone who was relatively established in the company. We quickly became great friends and then any sort of attraction that may have been there completely dissipated. We had to kiss in a scene once during one of our ballets and it was so awkward. It was like having to kiss your sibling."

"That's…disturbing." Regina wrinkled her nose at the thought. "Did you grow up in New York, then?"

Emma shook her head. "No. I grew up in a small town outside of the Twin Cities. I was extremely lucky to get a scholarship when I was 14 to this amazing residential ballet academy in Minneapolis. It saved my life."

Regina looked at her with a curious expression and picked up her drink again. "What do you mean?"

Emma took a deep breath and readjusted the bag of frozen peas that had started to slide off her foot. "My father took off before I was born, so I never knew him. To this day I don't know where he is…I don't even know his name, actually. My mother was always really supportive of me and my dancing. She passed away suddenly right after my 14th birthday. It turned out she had ovarian cancer and didn't even know. Both of my grandparents died when I was young, and she was an only child, so I didn't have any other family left. I was going to end up in foster care, but my dance teacher at the time was amazing and was able to help me secure a full scholarship to the dance academy. It gave me a place to live, a high school education, and let me continue dancing so I didn't have to end up in the system. She ended up being named my legal guardian, too. She wouldn't have been able to adopt me or have the resources to support me if I wasn't part of the residential dance program, but she was able to do enough to make sure I got what I needed."

Regina was speechless. She wished Emma wasn't sitting so far away in the chair, because she wanted to hug the woman, or at least hold her hand. Instead, she opted for leaning forward and scooting toward the end of the loveseat, closing some of the distance. "Oh wow. Emma, I had no idea."

She shrugged. "It wasn't easy, but it made me who I am today. And it could have been a lot worse." There was a brief awkward silence, amplified by the record reaching the end of Side A, ending the ambient soundtrack to their conversation. Emma got up and went over to the turntable, flipping the album to play the second side and threw the bag of peas back in the freezer on her way. As she walked back over to the living room, she saw Regina adjust her position, tucking her legs under herself on the loveseat. Emma took that as an invitation and decided to sit on the other cushion rather than back in the chair. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and turned to Regina. "So, tell me something about you that I wouldn't know just from reading about you in the fandom."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Is that something you do frequently?"

"Maybe," Emma responded. "You're not the only one who knows how to use Google to investigate someone."

* * *

The two women continued to talk for the next hour. Emma noticed how Regina's face lit up when she was talking about her two boys, Roland and Henry, but didn't say much about her husband when Emma brought him up. The only breaks in their conversation occurred when Emma got up to change the record on the turntable. On her most recent trip she detoured to the kitchen, grabbing a pint of chocolate gelato out of the fridge and two spoons. She handed one to Regina, which she willingly accepted, as she opened the lid and sat back down on the couch.

Regina ended up confessing to Emma that it's hard to be in the public eye, and while she loves her co-stars, it can be really lonely at times. She explained that her best friend Mal lives in San Francisco, while the rest of her close friends are scattered along the West coast after they all graduated from the University of Southern California. "I really miss having that core group of friends around me all the time, you know? We were so close in college, and even for a few years afterward until we all dispersed geographically," Regina said as she took a large scoop of gelato from the carton. "I love what I do, and I love the people I work with, but I miss having that sense of normalcy that comes from regularly spending time with people outside the industry. They help keep me grounded. I get to see them once or twice a year, but I wish it was more often."

Emma nodded. "I get that. I spent the past 15 years eating, breathing, and sleeping dance – mostly ballet. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have friends in high school that weren't ballerinas. Even after I moved to New York I never really met non-dancers. Killian is the only dancer I really considered a friend who I would want to hang out with outside of work, because while he was serious about his work, he didn't take himself too seriously. All the other dancers were always talking about their next audition, their next rehearsal, what a sadist their physical therapist was…it was exhausting. I wanted an escape."

"It seems like you have a good group now with Killian, Neal, Ruby, and August."

"Kind of…I love Ruby and August, but they live in Chicago so they're only here for a week to visit Neal, who is August's frat brother from college. Neal is great too, but he's not someone I would usually call to hang out with unless Killian is also there. We're just not that close. There are some other dance teachers at one of the studios where I teach that I hang out with sometimes, but it's always weird because we're in such different places in our lives, and aside from teaching at the same studio we don't have anything in common. That's one of the reasons I decided to go back to school, actually."

"Oh, you're in college?"

Emma explained that she was taking a few college classes in the evenings when she isn't rehearsing or teaching, hoping that it would help her decide what she wanted to do when she retires from performing. "I might decide to stay in the dance world and expand the EmKi Dance Collective if we become successful, or maybe try to run a dance studio, but I'm trying to keep my options open. I think I'll always want to be connected to that part of me and have that creative outlet, but I also think that eventually I might need something else, too. I don't really know. It's kind of frustrating. I definitely don't regret being in the ballet world for so long because it was amazing and something very few people have the opportunity to do, but I see everyone else my age who went straight to college, met their boyfriends, found their perfect career and are now getting married and popping out 2.5 kids. I don't think I necessarily want that, but it's hard not to think that somehow I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, or at least I don't have a sense of direction. I'll be 30 in a few months and I feel like I should at least have some sort of goal in mind."

"What you're doing is really admirable, Emma," Regina said, reaching for one of Emma's hands that was resting between them on the loveseat and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't feel like you need to rush into anything or that you're somehow falling behind. You have plenty of time to figure it out."

"I know. And I'm sorry for the depressing turn in the conversation. I didn't mean for you to have to play the role of my therapist," Emma let a small smile cross her lips as she gently returned the earlier gesture and squeezed Regina's hand that was still holding hers.

"You don't need to apologize. I like getting to know you. It's just nice to be able to have a real conversation with someone. I love these conventions because they're exciting and a lot of fun, but at the end of the day I'm an introvert who needs to have a conversation that goes deeper than small talk and I need to step back from the chaos for a bit or I'll burn myself out. It's nice to be able to let the public mask slip for a while."

"Well, thank you for being such a good listener. And I've liked getting to know the woman behind the character I see on TV every week. She seems pretty great," Emma smiled and then stifled a yawn.

"Oh shit," Regina said as she started to stand up, noticing the time on the microwave clock behind Emma's head. "It's after 1am. I should get out of your hair and let you get some sleep."

"Damn, I didn't realize it was that late," Emma commented as she stood up from the couch. "Would you like me to drive you back to your hotel?"

"Emma, thank you for the offer, but that's ridiculous. That would be an hour round trip for you and you're clearly exhausted. I have no problem calling a cab or an Uber."

"Yeah…Storybrooke pretty much shuts down when the bar closes at midnight, so there aren't any cabs or Ubers out here this late. There may be some in the city, but that will take forever and they may not be willing to come out this far anyway. You're welcome to stay and I can drive you back in the morning," Emma suggested. Regina suddenly looked up at her with a startled expression, so Emma quickly tried to backpedal. "Or, if you want you can borrow my car tonight and then find a way to get the keys to Ruby or someone tomorrow at the Con."

Regina thought it over for a second before responding. "That would be a logistical nightmare, not to mention I wouldn't even know how to drive back to Portland from here and would probably end up in Canada by the end of the night. Then I definitely would get fired. If you really don't mind me invading your home, I'd love to crash here."

Emma tried not to let her relief shine through. "Of course I don't mind," she said, clearing their empty glasses of the coffee table and putting the bottle of scotch back on top of the fridge. Regina grabbed the now empty gelato carton and the spoons to help Emma clean up. Emma thanked her as she grabbed the container and put it in the trash under the sink and then turned to face Regina. "You can take the bed, and I'll sleep on the couch," she said matter-of-factly as she started to walk toward her closet.

"No."

Emma sharply turned around. "What?"

"Emma, I'm not going to take your bed from you. The loveseat is too small for a grown adult to sleep on comfortably, much less one who I just watched spend most of the evening icing her feet after a week of rehearsals and performances. I have no problem sharing the bed…unless you do?" Regina hadn't meant for that to sound like a question, but her insecurity betrayed her.

"Oh, no I don't mind. I just didn't want you to feel uncomfortable," Emma said, hoping she appeared confident. She couldn't remember the last time she slept next to someone…it had been years, and now she was suddenly anxious at the thought.

Regina laughed. "I won't be. Just last week Graham and I spent seven hours laying in a bed for a scene. It's really not a big deal."

"Okay, then. Follow me," Emma said. She opened the door on the wall that Regina had previously thought was a bathroom, but was surprised to see it was a substantially large walk-through closet that connected with the bathroom. Emma walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer, pulling out a pair of running shorts and sweatpants. "Any preference?" She asked, holding up the two options.

"I think it's probably a bit too hot for sweatpants," Regina commented as she reached out and grabbed the shorts from Emma's hands, their fingers momentarily brushing against each other.

"Right…Good point," Emma laughed. She then grabbed a t-shirt and handed it to Regina. "The bathroom is through there," she pointed toward the door on the left-hand side of the closet. "There are also extra towels and washcloths in the linen cabinet. I don't think I have any extra toothbrushes, but there's a bottle of mouthwash in there if you feel so inclined and don't mind sharing."

"Thanks. And remember, I'm an actor. A little shared spit is nothing new to me. I've had to make out with people who I've known for less time than I've known you. I'm not concerned about a little mouthwash," she winked as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Emma let out a sigh, mentally berating herself for feeling so flustered. She quickly turned back to the open dresser drawer and dug around for something to wear since she usually wore either a satin chemise or just a bra and underwear to bed, and neither one of those seemed like an appropriate option given her new bedmate. She decided on a pair of bike shorts that weren't too short and a tank top, deciding to leave her bra on underneath. As she heard the toilet flush and the faucet start to run on the other side of the door, she quickly changed into her makeshift pajamas before Regina could come back out.

Regina exited the bathroom in Emma's running shorts and her old Britney Spears concert tee, and Emma couldn't help but stare. Regina had clearly washed her face, but even without makeup Emma thought she was stunning. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Regina's voice. "You know, just when I thought you had great taste in music, you give me this," she said, using her hands to point to the "Dream Within a Dream" tour t-shirt.

"Hey, I'll have you know that that was a very good show. Plus, it was my first concert. High school Emma may not have had the most refined musical preferences."

Regina smiled. "Fair enough. Thank you for letting me borrow it and for letting me stay here."

"Of course." Emma smiled as Regina slipped past her to head back into the living space, while Emma headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. As she brushed her teeth and looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but think she was dreaming. Three days ago she was only thinking about her own performance and hoping it would go well. Now, she had met an amazing woman who she felt was quickly becoming one of her closest friends, and that scared her. For one, Emma knew Regina was an actress on a high-profile show and she would likely never see her again. And secondly, Emma made it a point to never get too close too quickly to anyone. Emma was petrified that this would completely blow up in her face, but for now she was just going to try to enjoy getting to know Regina and worry about what would happen once the convention over later. As she reached for her washcloth she hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling self-conscious about letting Regina see her without any makeup. But she quickly kicked herself for thinking that the woman who has made such a great effort to get to know her over the past few days would be so shallow. She quickly hopped in the shower to rinse off her post-dance performance sweat, given that she was about to be very close to another person while she slept.

When she walked back toward her bedroom area five minutes later, she saw that Regina had neatly draped the leather dress she had worn earlier over the back of couch and was playing with Adagio, who was sitting on the end of the bed. "She brought me her mouse," Regina commented with a laugh, pointing to the ratty stuffed mouse that was now in between Adagio's front feet.

"Oh, well then she must think you're very special. She doesn't do that for just anyone," Emma smirked, walking toward the bed. She paused for a moment, watching Regina scratch Adagio behind the ears. "Are you sure you're okay with this? I really don't mind sleeping on the couch."

Regina laughed, again. "Emma, really it's okay. Now, which side do you usually sleep on?" Regina could sense that Emma was hesitating, so she had decided to take charge to help her push through any awkwardness Emma might be feeling.

"Honestly? Kind of the middle and sort of diagonally. But I suppose I veer more toward the right side."

Regina tried and failed to suppress a smile at Emma's answer as she walked around to the left side of the bed and pulled back the white comforter. Emma quickly followed suit, trying to shift as far to the right as she could and was joined almost immediately by Adagio who took a few steps until she curled up on Emma's legs. Regina noticed and laughed. "That reminds me of how my childhood cat used to sleep," she said as she set an alarm on her phone and put it on the nightstand.

"Yeah, she is quite clingy. She loves to cuddle, so there's a chance you might wake up with ass in your face. She doesn't really understand personal boundaries, so I apologize in advance."

"You and Adagio are both forgiven if that happens," Regina said sincerely. "Goodnight, Emma."

Emma felt Regina roll over and face away from her, and she did the same. While normally her double bed felt sufficiently large for just her and her cat, Emma was suddenly aware of how small it really was. "Goodnight, Regina."

* * *

 **A/N:** Once again, happy OUAT day! i hope you enjoyed getting some more insight into Emma's background...the next two chapters will finally reveal everything about Regina's situation. I have the rest of the story outlined in detail, but haven't completed any additional chapters. So, I may go back to the original plan of updating once a week (on Sundays) rather than twice per week...at least this week since I'm insanely busy. Thanks for reading/following/favoriting/reviewing!


	7. Chapter 7: Guest Pass

**A/N:** So good news! Here's an update before Sunday. This chapter turned out to be excessively long, so I decided to cut it in half, which means two updates this week: one today, and then part two (chapter 8) on Sunday.

* * *

Emma gradually awoke Saturday morning to the sun streaming in from her East-facing windows. As she opened her eyes she suddenly remembered that she wasn't alone. At some point during the night she had rolled onto her back, while Regina had rolled onto her right side. She now had her left arm thrown across Emma, with her hand resting on Emma's stomach. Emma's right hand was resting just above Regina's, with her pinky slightly hooked around Regina's thumb. Emma turned her head and noticed that the petite brunette was still asleep, but had moved closer to Emma during the night, nearly rolling onto Emma's pillow. She looked so peaceful. Emma wasn't sure what the protocol was for this situation, since it had been quite some time since she woke up next to someone else, and certainly never anyone like Regina.

Before Emma had time to overthink her options, she felt Regina's grip on her tighten, pulling herself into the blonde's side and burying her face into her pillow. The brunette let out a groan as she shifted and the sunlight hit her face. "Why is it so bright? Why aren't there blinds?"

Emma looked down at the brunette who still had her eyes closed. "It helps keep me from oversleeping." When Regina heard Emma's voice she opened her eyes, temporarily forgetting where she was. They stared at each other for a minute before Emma felt Regina's hand slide off her abdomen as the woman rolled away from her and onto her back, away from Emma's side of the bed.

"I'm sorry," Regina said, embarrassed. "I've been told I tend to cuddle when I'm really tired or have been drinking. Apparently, it's true."

Emma dismissed her concerns. "Regina, it's fine. Don't worry about it," Emma reassured her, not wanting to mention that it was the most peaceful sleep she had had in months. Emma swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching her arms behind her head and arching her back as she did so. Regina couldn't help but notice her tank top inching up and exposing her belly button ring and the abs that had impressed Regina in some of the Instagram photos she had found. "Would you like some coffee or tea?"

Regina suddenly looked up at Emma's face, hoping she hadn't been caught staring at the other woman. "Oh, yes, coffee would be great. Thanks." Emma nodded and walked toward the kitchen, setting up the coffee to brew before setting out food for Adagio and opening her apartment door to bring in the morning newspaper. Regina watched Emma go through her morning routine, suddenly feeling very content. She looked at her phone to check the time and noted that even though she only had slept for five and a half hours, she felt well-rested. Her serenity was only temporary, though, when she noticed that she had seven text messages and two voicemails from Gold, along with two texts from Robin. She knew eventually she would need to check the messages from Gold so that she could mentally prepare herself for whatever fresh hell she would encounter later that day, but for at the time she was very much buying into the notion that ignorance was bliss. She read the text messages from Robin, though, just to make sure nothing had happened back home with him or the boys. She sighed when she saw that Robin was checking in on her after he had received a concerned text from Gold.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Emma asked as she walked back over, handing Regina a mug full of coffee as she sat down on the foot of the bed.

"Oh, yeah. Just some more messages from my producer that I'll have to deal with at some point today."

"What did he say?"

"I don't know. I haven't looked at them yet. I don't feel like ruining my morning before it even really starts," she said, raising the coffee mug to her lips. "Oh God, this is good. Thank you."

Emma smiled. "Well, I know you take your coffee very seriously, so I used the best I have. Do you have any requests for breakfast? I have a few kinds of cereal, oatmeal, and some eggs. Otherwise we can grab something at the coffee shop downstairs or the diner, if you're in the mood for something specific."

Regina shook her head. "Cereal would be perfect, actually. I've been eating the hotel breakfast every day for far too long. The hotel restaurant only serves gourmet breakfast options and takes itself way too seriously, so all I've been craving recently is cereal. I'm so sick of eggs benedict I can't even tell you." Regina got out of bed and followed Emma to the kitchen, continuing to enjoy her coffee on the way.

"Okay, it looks like I have Cheerios, granola, or Cocoa Puffs," Emma said as she opened up her cabinets.

"Cocoa Puffs? Really?"

"Hey, you know what? Sometimes that midnight chocolate craving hits and there isn't any ice cream in the house. At least this doesn't make me feel as guilty since cereal is supposed to be a healthy option."

"I get it. I keep a box of Lucky Charms hidden in my trailer on set for that very reason."

Emma turned around and raised a brow. "No wonder we get along so well. Great minds." She grabbed two bowls out of the cabinet and set them on the island along with all three boxes of cereal. Regina reached for the granola and started pouring it in her bowl. "Would you like milk or yogurt with that?" Emma asked.

"Oh, yogurt would be perfect."

"Your wish is my command." Emma pulled out the container of low-fat plain yogurt and handed it to Regina, before grabbing the half gallon of milk for herself and sitting on the barstool next to Regina at the counter. The two continued to make easy conversation, sticking to much lighter topics than what they had discussed the night before. When they were finished with their breakfast, Regina insisted on helping Emma clean up, taking the dishes from her and washing them in the sink while Emma went to make the bed. The pleasant domesticity of the situation was not lost on Emma. It had been over three years since she had lived with another person, and while most days she loved the freedom of living alone and had always wished she could have afforded to have her own place in New York, having someone else around for breakfast and splitting housework was nice, even if it was only for a brief moment. "You said your first event today is at 10, right?" Emma asked as she walked back into the kitchen, spotting Regina leaning back against the counter and reading the newspaper that had been sitting on the corner of the island.

"Mmhmm."

"We should probably head back to Portland soon, then. It's a little after 8:00 now."

"Uh huh…right…"Regina commented, making Emma wonder what was so interesting that the woman had suddenly stopped paying attention to her. "Emma, have you read this yet?" Regina looked up at her, placing the opened newspaper on the island.

"Is that today's paper? No, not yet. Why?" She asked walking over and leaning forward on the island, propped up on her elbows over the paper.

"Check that out," Regina said, pointing to something in the Arts and Entertainment section, before picking up her coffee and turning to face the blonde. Regina watched Emma read the paper, a smile creeping up on Regina's lips as the blonde absorbed what she read.

"Oh my God!" Emma shouted as she jumped upright after scanning the article. "Oh my God!" She said again, this time turning to face Regina, who immediately pulled her in for hug.

"Did you know they had anyone there?" Regina asked her, continuing to hold the woman in her arms before reluctantly letting her go.

"I had no idea. We sent them a press release and they had a little blurb in their upcoming events calendar, but I didn't know they were sending anyone to review it."

"I'm so happy for you, Emma. You deserve this," she said, pulling Emma in once again for a small hug.

"Thank you, Regina."

"Now, you should go call Killian."

"Oh! You're right. Duh," Emma said, still digesting what she had read.

Regina laughed. "I'll give you some privacy while I go get ready."

Emma nodded. "Feel free to use whatever products you find in there…whatever you need."

Regina thanked her and grabbed her own phone before disappearing through the closet and into the bathroom. Emma pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Killian's number.

"Bloody Hell, Swan, it's barely 8am," Emma heard Killian groan on the other end of the phone.

"I don't care. Killian, you need to go buy today's _Portland Tribune_. They sent a reviewer to our show and the write-up is freaking incredible… they called us 'a company to watch' and had only good things to say…"

* * *

Regina smiled as she walked into Emma's bathroom, truly proud of what Emma had accomplished, though simultaneously trying to figure out why she felt so proud of her. She had only known the woman for a few days, so she had no reason to feel so invested in the other woman's success. She decided to work through those thoughts later, maybe on her therapist's couch, but for now she needed to get ready for her Saturday at the Con. Even though her schedule was lighter that day, the crowds tended to be larger on the weekend and therefore it was a more frantic and stressful experience for everyone involved. She pulled out her phone and resigned herself to read through Gold's text messages and listen to his voicemails. She sighed, listening to him whine about her "disappearing act" at the party and not answering her hotel room door when he knocked on it after the party. Then she read his texts where he eventually wrote: _You better be dying. You should know better than to ignore me._ As she was scrolling through the messages, another one came in: _Where the hell are you? I am outside of your hotel room. Let me in._

She sighed and typed out a response: _Relax, Gold, I'm alive. I didn't answer my door last night because I was passed out on migraine medication, put in ear plugs, and turned off my phone._ She sent the message, sticking to her original excuse for her early departure from the party. Then she continued: _I woke up feeling much better this morning but in dire need for some air. I'm out exploring the Portland area but I'll be back with plenty of time to spare before our first appearance._ She hoped he would accept her response, as it wasn't totally inaccurate. She was exploring the Portland area, if you consider a suburb 20 miles away from downtown part of the "Portland area".

After helping herself to some more of Emma's mouthwash and some moisturizer and borrowing the blonde's hairbrush to pull her wavy hair back into a low ponytail, Regina headed back out into the living room. Just as she picked up the navy leather dress off the couch to put it back on, Emma stopped her. "Regina, you can't wear that."

"What? Why?"

"Come on, you went to college. Clearly you should be familiar with the walk of shame." When Emma didn't get any response other than a blank stare, she continued. "You can't risk being seen in what you wore last night. It'll raise questions, and your producer will definitely not be happy."

"Oh, right," she said, the realization hitting her and grateful that Emma thought of that.

"You can borrow something of mine, just in case anyone sees you walking back into the hotel before you have a chance to change into your own clothing. Pick out whatever you want in my closet."

Regina looked grateful. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Thank you, Emma." Regina disappeared back into the walk-in closet to look through her options. Regina quickly ruled out jeans, given that Emma's lower body was a size or two smaller than she was. Toward the back of the closet rack she found a gorgeous silk-like strapless maxi dress with a bold grey, black, and white print. She threw it on and used the attached ties to cinch the waist.

"Wow, Regina, you look great," Emma said when the brunette emerged from the closet a few minutes later. "That dress looks much better on you than it ever did on me."

"Thanks…Actually, would it be okay if I borrowed this dress for the whole day? I'm not going to have a ton of time when I get back to the hotel and will likely only have time to do makeup or change, not both."

"Sure."

* * *

The drive back to Portland was pleasant, with Regina and Emma continuing to have a flowing conversation. Regina asked Emma to help her get back into the right mindset for the day's panels, so for the first time since they met, Emma asked Regina questions about the show. She secretly relished in the opportunity to get to ask some questions she always wanted to have answered, but didn't want to ask Regina previously since they had been focused on learning about each other. Plus, the last thing Emma wanted was to come across as a crazy fan. Emma pulled up to the front of the hotel and prepared to drop Regina off when Regina startled her. "If you don't have any plans for today and want to stick around, I can get you a guest wristband. That way you can go to whatever panels and events you want, and then I can give you your dress back after I'm done for the day."

"Oh, sure. That would be great, thank you."

"It's not a problem. It's the least I can go to thank you for letting me intrude last night and for the ride. There's complimentary valet here for all of us at the hotel, so you won't have to worry about finding parking at this shitshow," Regina said, practically reading Emma's mind. They got out of the car and Regina showed the valet her credentials as Emma handed over the keys. She followed Regina inside and watched as she spoke to one of the managers at the front desk, before coming back over. "Okay, here is a wristband," she said, peeling off the backing and gently fastening it to Emma's wrist, slowly caressing Emma's hand before she let go. "It'll get you access to everything, except some of the reserved events for those who bought exclusive packages. I also gave your name to the manager up front, so you won't have any issues getting into the hotel. The hotel is reserved for the panelists from various shows and franchises, so security is extra tight. They have your info though, so no one should give you any trouble, and you can retrieve your car whenever you're done for the day."

Emma nodded in appreciation. "Thanks Regina, this is great."

"On that note, I have my first event in a half hour so I'm going to run upstairs and finish getting ready. My schedule is a bit more sporadic and light today, so I'll message you later and if you're up for lunch we can grab something." Regina looked at Emma and for the first time felt awkward as they stood in the lobby of the hotel. Even though it was a paparazzi and fan-free zone, Regina knew better than to hug the woman goodbye, which is what she desperately wanted to do. Instead, she settled on a small smile and barely-there wave, before heading toward the elevator across the lobby.

Emma watched the brunette jog off toward the awaiting elevator. She saw Regina wink at her as the elevator doors closed, and Emma chuckled to herself before walking back through the automatic doors in the lobby. Taking out her phone as she walked toward the convention center next door, Emma texted her friends to let them know that she made it to the Con after all and that they should meet up.

* * *

At 11:20 in the morning, Emma walked through the doors to a huge ballroom that had been set up with what she estimated to be at least 200 chairs, packed tightly in rows facing the platform stage. The next panel was scheduled to begin in 10 minutes, and already nearly all the seats were filled. She imagined it would be standing room only by the time it began. Her eyes scanned the room before landing on Ruby, Neal, and August in one of the back few rows, a few seats down from the center aisle. Ruby waved her over, and she slid into the empty seat Ruby saved her. She hadn't had a chance to find her friends yet in the chaos of the morning panels, so she was relieved to finally see them. "So, give me the gossip!" Ruby said as Emma settled in and put her purse down next to her feet.

"What gossip?" Emma asked, looking over at her friend.

"Well first, why are you here? How are you here? You don't have tickets."

"Regina was able to get me a guest pass," she said, holding up her arm to show her wristband.

"That was nice of her," August said, joining in the conversation.

"Yes, it was." Ruby stated with a knowing look. "So, what did you two crazy kids do after we left last night?"

"Nothing too exciting. We had a few more drinks and talked a bit, and then I drove her back to Portland. She gave me the guest pass as a thank you," she said. While technically what she told Ruby was accurate, she purposely neglected to mention that there were about 10 hours in between the last drink at the bar and driving back to Portland.

Ruby looked disappointed while August looked skeptical. "Really? That's it?" Ruby asked her.

Emma shrugged and then watched as someone from the convention made their way to the stage to prepare for the panel. "Are you going to try to ask a question?" Emma asked Ruby, hoping to change the subject.

"I don't know...I'm not sure what I would ask, and I would probably get nervous and sound like a bumbling idiot. I don't want to go all fangirl on them," Ruby said, eying the stage and trying to see if she could catch a glimpse of any of the actors. "Are you?"

Emma shook her head. "No…I don't really need to."

Ruby laughed. "Oh, of course. Since you're friends with all the cast now, you can ask them whenever you want."

Emma rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yes, that's exactly it…Actually it's kind of weird to be at this panel now and to watch them on stage after seeing them in real life the past few days."

"I wouldn't say that too loudly, Emma. There are a few hundred fangirls here that might attack you," Ruby jokingly warned.

"Touché." Emma felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket and pulled it out, noticing a few Snapchat notifications from Regina asking her if she was enjoying herself. She quickly wrote back: _Yes, thank you for the hook up!_

Almost immediately her phone lit up with a new notification from the actress: _I don't recall a hook up ;-)._ Emma was temporarily stunned and debating how to respond when the emcee got up on stage and announced that they would be starting in a few minutes.

Emma regained her composure and shot off a reply: _Ha, very funny, Ms. Mills. Seriously though, thank you! I'm actually in the audience with Ruby and August for the_ Frozen Mirror _panel, so no pressure, but you better keep me entertained._

The emcee started announcing the actors while Emma was preoccupied reading Regina's most recent response. "Umm, Em?"

She barely heard Ruby's voice in her ear over the screaming of the fans and looked up at her. "What?"

"Didn't you say you guys had one more drink and then you drove Regina back to Portland last night?"

Emma thought for a second before responding. "Well, that's not _exactly_ what I said, but generally yeah that's what happened…why?"

"If you drove Regina back to her hotel after the bar last night, then why is she wearing your dress this morning?"

At that Emma's head perked up and she quickly looked at the stage, noticing that Regina was still wearing the dress she had borrowed from her that morning. She then glanced back at her friend who was staring at her with raised eyebrows.

When Emma didn't say anything, Ruby continued: "Don't even try to deny it. I was with you when you bought it at that boutique last summer when I visited you. Everything in that store is practically one of a kind. There's no way she just happens to also have that identical dress and chose to wear it the morning after she hung out with you in Storybrooke."

"Shit," was all Emma managed to say. Before Ruby could beg her for details, the actors on stage had all taken their seats and the emcee had started the event.

While the panel started answering the fan's questions, Emma tried to come up with a plausible reason for Regina borrowing her dress. There truth wasn't particularly scandalous, but Emma knew Ruby would blow it way out of proportion, and she wanted to be mindful of Regina's privacy and image. Ruby tended to have a big mouth and given Regina's attempt to dodge her producer's calls all night, she didn't want to risk it. She looked down at her phone and saw a text from Ruby. Emma looked over at her out of the corner of her eye and saw Ruby trying to subtly tell Emma to read the message. She acquiesced: _Don't think you're getting out of this, Swan. I want to know. No, scratch that...I need to know._

Emma quickly wrote back: _Nothing happened. The bar got crowded and people started to recognize her, so we left since she was supposed to still be at an event in Portland and didn't want her producers to find out she bailed. So, please don't say anything to anyone…not even August. She came over, played with Adagio and listened to a few albums. It was too late to drive back to her hotel, so she crashed at my place and borrowed the dress this morning so she wouldn't have to wear the same dress from last night. She decided she liked it and asked if she could borrow it for the day._

Ruby silently gasped and quickly texted Emma back: _Omg, Em! Did you guys sleep together?_

Emma scoffed and immediately responded: _No! Literally nothing happened. I slept on the couch._ Emma didn't want to lie to her friend, but she really didn't want to give any sort of indications of impropriety, especially because they didn't do anything. Emma composed another text: _Why would you even think that? 1) I'm not gay, and 2) even if I was, she's not. She is very married and very straight._

Ruby chuckled and texted back: _You don't have to be gay to see that she's hot AF. There are so many straight girls in this room who would fuck her if given the opportunity. And I'm not so sure about her anyway…I know you're not as tapped into the Regina fangirl community as I am, so I'll enlighten you – there are a lot of people who think she's not entirely straight, given some photos that have popped up from her early 20s where she and her friend look quite cozy. And more recently, people have thought that she and her husband are each other's beards, since Robin isn't the most masculine dude. Plus, I saw the looks you two were giving each other last night at Aesop's…that wasn't "nothing."_

Emma legitimately had no idea what Ruby was talking about, but she started to wonder if there was some truth to it. She had been so focused on her dance career for the past decade that she had neglected her social life and admittedly wasn't great at reading other people's signals. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe Regina was flirting with her. But, she also assumed that as an actress, Regina was probably more outwardly affectionate with her friends, because as a dancer Emma was that way. But, Regina hadn't really said much about her husband during the course of their nearly three-hour conversation the previous night. Emma noticed she had gotten lost in her thoughts and Ruby was looking at her phone expectantly, waiting for a response from Emma, so she wrote back: _I'm not aware of the photos you're talking about, but I promise you nothing happened._

Immediately, a response: _But do you want something to happen? If you do, there's nothing wrong with that. It's not like you've ever had a real boyfriend, Em…_

Emma rolled her eyes: _You sound like an_ Avenue Q _song, Ruby. It's also worth noting that I've never had a girlfriend, either. Just because I've always been single doesn't mean I'm somehow closeted and living in denial._

Ruby laughed as she texted back: _Maybe you should open yourself up to other possibilities. That's all I'm saying._

Emma was too tired to think of a rebuttal, so she tried to end the conversation: _Just watch the panel, Ruby._ She slipped her phone into her back pocket, as if to punctuate her point to Ruby that this conversation was over. Ruby rolled her eyes after reading the text and put her phone in her purse.

Emma sat back and watched the cast of _Frozen Mirror_ continue to answer audience questions while trying not to give Ruby's probing inquiry too much thought. She felt her phone vibrate in against her chair and glanced over to Ruby to glare at her for continuing to press her on the Regina issue. But, she saw that Ruby was engrossed in the panel and she didn't have her phone out, so Ruby couldn't be the source of the interruption. Curiosity got the best of her and she slid her phone out, smiling when she saw a Snapchat notification from Regina: _Enjoying the panel? I'll give you $100 to ask a good question. If I have to answer one more question about which cast member I would be most likely to have a crush on or whether I prefer playing my demon character or my regular character, I'm going to scream._

Emma chuckled as she texted her reply: _Texting during the panel? I'm sure your producers would frown upon that. Sadly, I don't have anything to ask. Is there something you want me to ask? I can make Ruby do it…_

Emma looked up at Regina after she sent the message. Regina was sitting with one elbow resting on the table in front of her, with her index finger and thumb cradling her chin as though she was deep in thought. She excelled at faking nonchalance. Emma watched as Regina's eyes shifted down toward her lap for a few moments before looking back at Zelena, who was in the middle of answering a fan's question. Sure enough, Emma saw another message come in seconds later: _Not really. I'm just over the Con. I'm exhausted._

She quickly responded, deciding to toe the line and see if Ruby was onto something: _What's wrong? Didn't sleep well last night? ;)._ Emma held her breath as she waited for an answer, but she would have to wait awhile since the next audience question was directed toward Regina. Emma had to admit that Regina's ability to quickly switch on her public face was impressive. She gave the fan her full attention and answered the question thoughtfully, despite Emma realizing it was probably the hundredth time she had been asked it.

As soon as Regina had finished her response, Emma received another message: _Oh, I slept very well :), just not very long, and being on display like this all week takes it out of me. I'm also hungry so that's making me cranky. I have a substantial break soon. Want to grab lunch? If so, meet me in the hotel lobby at 12:30._ Without a second thought, Emma quickly texted back that she would meet her there, still baffled that she's been Snapchatting with the woman she was currently watching on stage.

When the emcee concluded the panel, Emma watched as Regina graciously smiled and waved at the audience before being the first one to quickly exit the room. Emma gathered her bag from the floor and jacket from the back of her chair so that she, too, could make a quick exit.

"Whoa, where's the fire? Where are you off to so quickly?" August asked her as he saw Emma rush to leave.

"I'm starving. I'm going to go try to grab lunch before it gets too crowded."

Ruby looked at her skeptically. "Going to lunch alone? Or are you meeting up with a certain gorgeous brunette?"

"Ruby, please don't start this again. We are friends. Nothing more. And for some reason it seems like the producers are scrutinizing everything she does while she's here, so please just let it go and don't start anything." With a final glare at her friend to convey the seriousness of her message, Emma threw bag over her shoulder and walked out of the ballroom.

* * *

Although the hotel lobby was swimming with celebrity panelists who were seeking refuge from the commotion of Comic-Con, Emma ignored all of them and immediately spotted Regina sitting on a bench near the elevators. At first Regina didn't see Emma come in, as she was engrossed in something she was reading on her phone, but her head immediately lifted up when she heard Emma's greeting. She slipped her phone back in her purse as she stood up and smiled at the blonde. "Hey! I'm glad you were able to make it."

Emma returned the smile. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought you might be sick of me by now," Regina joked.

"I'm pretty sure that's not possible," Emma said as she noticed more people trickle into the lobby. "So, what did you have in mind for lunch?"

Regina sighed. "Well, I was thinking the restaurant here, but it seems as though everyone else has the same idea," she gestured around the lobby as the crowds of actors and crew members headed toward the restaurant at the end of the hotel atrium. "I don't really feel like dealing with all of them right now – it's been an overwhelming morning since I got here, and anywhere nearby will be swarming with Con attendees. Would you be okay if we just ordered room service? The restaurant can bring something up to my room, and we can watch a movie or something since I have two and a half hours before I need to be back down here. I just want to chill for a bit."

Emma could sense that Regina was a little anxious, though she couldn't tell if it was because of the chaos of the morning events or if it was something else. "That sounds great," Emma answered, noticing Regina suddenly appeared more relaxed.

"Thanks." Regina walked over to the elevator and pressed the call button, guiding Emma through the doors when they opened. "What did you think of the panel? Was it as awkward as I thought it was?" She asked as they rode up to the eighth floor.

"It was kind of crazy to hear you guys talking up on stage after hanging out with you the last few days, but I thought it went well. The fans seemed to love it. Why did you think it was awkward?"

"It was more contentious than usual. The ship wars got a little out of control. I thought Graham was going to lose it up there, and of course Zelena was just adding fuel to the fire. She lives for drama."

"It was fine. People are definitely passionate about their ships, but I thought you guys handled it well. Plus, I think most people thought it was entertaining. You and Graham put them in their place."

Regina audibly sighed. "Okay, good. Gold didn't look happy when I caught his eye off the side of the stage after all that." The doors to the elevator opened and Regina led Emma down the hall and toward her room, not noticing Gold watching them as he stood in the other elevator as they walked by.

"After you," Regina said as she opened the door to her room and walked over to the dresser to grab the room service menu. Emma had walked over to the window to look out at the city below. Regina handed her the menu before kicking off her stiletto pumps and sitting down, resting against the pillows at the head of the bed.

"What's good here?" Emma asked her as she browsed the menu.

"I had a lobster roll yesterday and it was divine. That's what I'm going to get."

"That sounds great," Emma said, handing back the menu. "Want to split an order of fries?"

Regina nodded, handing Emma the TV remote so she could pick out a movie while she called in the order. "It'll be up in 20 minutes."

"Great, thanks," she said, hesitantly sitting down on the bed next to Regina after removing her shoes. "Hey, umm, random question, but is there an ice machine on this floor? Wearing heels today was a stupid decision on my part. My foot is killing me."

"There's one just a few doors down. I'll go grab it for you."

"Regina, you don't have to do that. I can get it myself."

"I don't mind...besides, it's not like you're exactly supposed to be wandering the halls up here. I'll be right back," she said, lightly placing a comforting hand on Emma's knee before leaving the room. She returned a few moments later with a bag of ice and handed Emma an extra pillow from the sofa to help prop it up.

"Thank you, Regina," Emma said as she got situated.

"You're welcome. Did you decide on a movie?"

"I did…don't laugh, because it's totally stereotypical, but I haven't actually seen it yet," she said as she motioned to the TV in front of them.

Regina chuckled to see that Emma has selected _Black Swan._ "Wait, how have you never seen this movie? You're a ballet dancer."

"Exactly. It came out when I was still dancing at ABT, so I didn't want to watch a film that was a dark interpretation of my daily life. And then after I left the company, I kind of forgot about the movie so I never watched it. Have you seen it?"

Regina nodded. "I have. A few times, actually. It's really quite good, and it's definitely dark."

"So you don't mind watching it again?"

"No, not at all." They both settled in, leaning their backs against the headboard.

As the opening of the movie plays, Emma whispered to Regina: "You know, I played the lead in Swan Lake back in high school."

"That's a little bit meta, considering your last name," she quietly laughed.

* * *

The food was delivered a little while later, and Emma and Regina devoured their lobster rolls while watching Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis go through the grueling rehearsal scenes in the film. "Is it really that intense?" Regina asked her.

"It can be. I mean, we rehearsed for eight or more hours a day, even when we had performances in the evening. And it can be really competitive at times, but fortunately, it wasn't nearly this insane," Emma responded.

Regina nodded. "I'm so glad I didn't listen to my mother when she kept pushing me toward ballet. I wasn't cut out for that world," she said as she set the empty food container on the bedside table and moved a little closer to Emma on the bed as she got settled. "Actually, Erica, the mom in this film, reminds me a lot of my mother. They both have that same eerie presence and annoying need to control everything in their daughter's life."

Emma shifted her gaze to Regina. "You're not going to go all psycho like Nina as a result of your mother, right?"

"No, I'd like to think I'm slightly more emotionally stable than she is, though probably on some level just as damaged…Thankfully at least my mother never caught me getting myself off. That might have pushed me over the edge."

At that Emma raised a brow and laughed. "Yeah, I could have lived without that scene."

"Then brace yourself for what's about to come," Regina said, putting her hands in her lap and nodding toward the TV as Mila and Natalie come home from the club and make their way into the bedroom. Both Emma and Regina tensed up as the scene in the film unfolded. They refused to look at each other but were very aware that they were sitting close to each other, their legs touching. Neither Emma nor Regina dared to move, knowing that if they did it would draw more attention to the awkwardness and uncertainty they were both experiencing.

Emma finally broke the silence when the scene ended as Regina let out a breath she had been holding, her face slightly flushed. "You know, it's a little ironic that you're an actor and have had God knows how many sex scenes in TV shows, yet you get embarrassed watching one."

Regina scoffed and feigned offense. "Hey, I was not embarrassed. It's just always strange to watch them with other people. Plus, in my own sex scenes it's the least sexy thing ever, because I know how they were filmed. It's different watching someone else go at it."

When the movie ended, Regina slipped her shoes back on, reapplied her makeup, and fixed her hair. She noticed Emma was still leaning back on the headboard, struggling to keep her eyes open. "My next event is only an hour long. You're welcome to stay up here if you don't want to head back to the convention. I won't be gone long."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. Just don't roam the halls."

"I won't. This might be weird, but do you mind if I take a nap up here while you're gone? I think the excitement of this whole week has finally caught up with me."

Regina smiled. "I kind of figured you would. You almost fell asleep three times during the last half hour of the movie."

"I did not!" Emma said, chucking a pillow at Regina from across the room. Regina rolled her eyes and threw the pillow back before exiting her hotel room.

* * *

Regina came back from her meet and greet a little over an hour later and quietly entered her room. As she turned around, she saw that Emma was still on top of the bed covers, sleeping peacefully and curled into Regina's pillow. She toyed with letting the blonde sleep a little bit more, but she had something to tell her so she gently reached out an arm and nudged her shoulder. "Emma," she said softly, hearing a mumbled groan in response. She shook her shoulder a little harder and spoke a little louder until the blonde opened her eyes. "Emma, I have a surprise for you, as a thank you for your hospitality last night."

Emma sat up as she regained her bearings. "What? Regina, you've done enough."

Regina shrugged. "Maybe, but I wanted to do more, which to be honest is as much for me as it is for you. So, come on," she said as she extended her hand out to the blonde and pulled her up and off the bed. Emma stepped into her shoes on the way toward the door, their fingers still intertwined.

It wasn't until they stepped out into the hallway that Regina let go of Emma's hand, as they almost immediately ran into Robert Gold. "Jesus, Gold, you startled me," Regina said, placing a hand over her chest.

"Yes, I can see that you weren't expecting to run into me," he said, glaring at Regina before cutting his eyes over toward Emma and looking her over. He then settled his gaze back on Regina. "So who's this?" He asked, knowing exactly who the blonde was and emphasizing his distaste for what he was witnessing.

"This is Emma, a friend of mine," she said, emphasizing the word "friend" for his benefit as well as to remind herself of that fact.

"Is that so, dearie? Because I don't believe you. And neither will anyone else, at this rate. You have only yourself to blame when this ruins your career."

"Oh, c'mon Gold. You saw me at a panel 10 minutes ago. I literally just got back here and was in my room for a total of 30 seconds. What could we have possibly done in that time? Stop trying to create a scandal where there isn't one."

"I'm not concerned about those 30 seconds, Regina. I'm concerned about the two hours you were up here before your panel. Or where you were last night when you claimed to have passed out with a migraine," he said, sending a disgusted look toward Emma.

Regina sends him a glare back, placing her hand on Emma's back and pushing her away from Gold and toward the elevator. "Sorry about that."

"Was he implying what I think he was?" Emma looked shocked while Regina looked apologetic, hoping that Emma wouldn't freak out at the incorrect assumption that Gold had made.

"Gold always has an agenda and an enemy, and right now his focus is on me. His goal seems to be making everything into something it's not. It's really nothing to worry about."

Emma frowned. "Okay," she said, although she didn't sound convinced.

They arrived in the lobby of the hotel, and Emma followed Regina down a long hallway. She soon realized where they were heading. "The spa? Seriously?" Emma said, half bewildered and half intrigued.

Regina nodded. "I know you're exhausted and probably sore from your performance, and I'm so done with the stress of this convention and Gold, so I booked us massages," Regina said, hoping Emma was on board with the idea.

"Oh my God. I think I might love you," Emma said in disbelief as she signed an intake form at the reception desk. "You're amazing."

Regina hoped she wasn't blushing. "It's the least I could do. I really can't thank you enough, both for letting me crash last night and for helping to distract me from everything going on here."

The women were led into the back to change into towels and then led back into one of the massage rooms. Ariel, the spa manager, led them inside. "My apologies, but on such short notice we only have the couple's room available. We're surprisingly busy with the Con happening. It seems every actor wants to sneak down here to relax whenever they have a chance. I hope that won't be a problem."

Regina looked over at Emma, who just shrugged. "What does a couple's massage entail?" Regina asked Ariel.

"It's more or less the same as a regular massage, except you're in the same room. And then at the end, if you want to, the massage therapists can give a short lesson on how to massage your partner." Ariel sensed some reluctance in Regina's features, so she quickly added: "But, that is completely optional. You're welcome to use the full hour as a regular massage."

Regina nodded. "That's fine, thanks."

"Great! You can each go ahead and lay down on the table under the sheet, and I'll send in Eric and Phillip, who will be taking care of you this afternoon."

Both Emma and Regina raised eyebrows at that, but said nothing. They both were expecting women. When Ariel stepped out of the room, Regina turned to Emma. "Are you okay with all of this?"

Emma laughed. "What? The couple's massage or the fact that the masseurs are men? Regina, it's fine. I'm a dancer…strangers of either gender touching me is part of my daily life. I'm just really excited someone might be able to finally work out this knot I've had in my lats for days now." Emma turned her back as she sat down on the table and carefully got under the sheet, trying to be as discreet as possible. While she was used to being naked in front of people, as she had spent most of her life doing quick costume changes in the wings backstage, she sensed Regina's hesitancy and didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Regina quickly followed suit, disrobing and laying down on her stomach before pulling the sheet over herself.

"Knock, knock," they heard someone call from outside. "Is everybody decent?"

Emma laughed. "Yes, you can come in."

Two well-groomed and well-built men walked in, each dressed in a white polo, white pants, and white Converse sneakers. "I'm Phillip, and this is Eric," one of them said. "We'll be taking care of you for the next hour. And, just to put your mind at ease, we're both very gay so you can relax." Regina and Emma both chuckled at that comment and rested their heads on their forearms as they got comfortable.

* * *

 **A/N:** If you haven't watched _Black Swan_ , you should. It's so good. Plus, Barbara Hershey (aka Cora in OUAT) is so good and so creepy as Natalie Portman's mother in the film. I know this isn't a super exciting update and is more fluff, but it was getting too long to include the rest of that day's events in the chapter and I wanted to still have that relationship development. As always, thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I know a lot of you have been asking about the Robin situation/Regina's marriage, and all questions will be answered in the next chapter on Sunday.


	8. Chapter 8: The Full Story

**A/N:** Happy OUAT Day! And now, the very complicated backstory is revealed. Why is Gold being such a douche/why does he personally have it out for Regina? What is the deal with Robin? It's time to find out. (This was actually the idea that popped into my head that prompted me to write the story in the first place, so I hope you enjoy!)

* * *

"Oh my God, Regina, that was incredible. Thank you for that," Emma said as they got off the elevator and walked back to Regina's hotel room. The massages were relaxing and just what Emma needed, although she was trying to forget the moans of pleasure she heard Regina make during the session… she did not need to be thinking about that right now. She silently cursed Ruby for putting that idea in her head in the first place.

Regina opened the door and the pair walked inside, Emma immediately sitting down at the end of the bed and taking off her shoes. She saw Regina take a few steps and then stop, almost as if she was working up the courage to say something. She finally did: "Emma, you're of course under no obligation to stick around, but I'm done with the Con for the rest of the day, so you're welcome to stay if you'd like. I'm probably going to lay low, watch another movie and order dinner, if you want to join me."

Emma held back a laugh, thinking that it was ridiculous that Regina seemed nervous. "I'd love to."

Regina smiled. "Okay, good. I'm going to go take a quick shower and rinse off all these oils. There are some takeout menus on the dresser if you want to pick something, and the room service menu is still next to the phone. I'll be back out in a few."

"Sounds good! Thanks, Regina." Emma got up and walked over to the dresser to browse through the menus after Regina made her way to the bathroom. Emma heard the shower turn on and as she picked up the next menu option, she absentmindedly glanced up and quickly blushed. Regina must not have fully latched the bathroom door, and it had started to open. From where she was standing she could see the shower reflecting in the mirror through the cracked door. She immediately turned around when she caught a glimpse of Regina's nude form stepping into the shower. "Damn it, Swan," she scolded herself under her breath.

Regina came back into the room a few minutes later after her shower in a fluffy white robe. "The shower is all yours, if you want it," she said, drying her hair with a hand towel. "Did you decide where you want to order dinner from?"

"Oh, yeah. The hotel restaurant is fine – I was thinking either a burger or the lobster mac and cheese. Surprise me."

"Ugh, I would kill for a good burger," Regina said. "But, the hotel burgers suck. Actually, none of the burgers I've ever had when I'm in town for this Con have been good."

"In that case, I'll take the lobster mac and cheese. And the best burgers in Maine are at Granny's Diner in Storybrooke," Emma said, matter-of-factly. "It's totally an old-school diner, but her burgers are insane," she said, grabbing an extra towel out of the linen closet and heading into the bathroom.

* * *

"The food will be here in five minutes," Regina said when she heard the bathroom door open.

Emma emerged in the same denim shorts she had worn all day, but in a new t-shirt she had purchased from one of the vendors that morning. Her long blonde hair was still wet, and she was in the process of putting it into a loose side braid. She noticed Regina had ditched the hotel bathrobe and had changed into a pair of leggings and a plain grey tank top. "Great, thanks." Emma paused for a few seconds before sitting down on the bed next to Regina, in the same spot she had been when they watched the movie earlier. "Hey, Regina, can I ask you something?"

Regina looked up from the magazine she had been reading. "Of course. What's up?"

Emma took a deep breath, hoping that she wasn't overstepping. "You can totally tell me it's none of my business, but what was up with that encounter with Gold in the hallway before we went to the spa? I get the sense that there's a lot more to that story than him randomly deciding to harass you for the week."

Regina nodded. "So you picked up on that, huh?"

"Well, yeah. It was kind of obvious," she said. When Regina looked down at her hands and started to fidget with her wedding band, Emma continued. "Look, like I said you don't owe me any explanation. But, it seems like he's the primary cause of your stress the past few days, so if you want to talk about it, I'm here. I've been told I'm a good listener."

Regina sighed and put her magazine on the nightstand before turning toward Emma and beginning her explanation. "It's a really long story, but the gist is that Gold is concerned about my reputation in the media, and by extension his show's reputation, particularly because of fans who are hoping that my character and Ingrid's character will finally hookup. They've projected some of that onto us as actors, so it's not just our characters anymore. That's one of the reasons why Ingrid and I are rarely ever at the same Con at the same time…even though there's absolutely nothing happening there, he wants to keeps us separated to avoid feeding the fangirl rumors."

When Regina paused, Emma nodded, knowing that Regina and Ingrid's characters were a popular ship among the fans…to be honest, she shipped them, too. "Okay, but if there's nothing happening there, why is he freaking out about you hanging out with me? And why is he giving you such a hard time in general?"

"Well, Gold and I have a bit of a history," Regina continued, but she stopped when she saw the look of disgust on Emma's face. "Eww God no, not like that."

"Okay, good. That was a mental image I really didn't need in my head."

"Yeah, me neither." Regina shook away that disturbing thought and continued her explanation. "Gold's brother knew my father, so we had crossed paths a few times both professionally in the industry and through our families before _Frozen Mirror_ ever existed. Gold became aware that my best friend Mal and I were kind of together briefly back in college and for a bit afterward, so his concerns now aren't totally unfounded. About a year or two into our show, some photos surfaced that some of my college friends had posted on Facebook from back in the day. They didn't have their privacy settings configured, so they ended up being accessed by the public and circulated when I started getting an active fanbase. They were relatively innocuous and pretty typical for early 20-something behavior, but of course people saw what they wanted to see."

Emma remembered Ruby's comment at the earlier panel about some photographs that brought into question Regina's sexuality. "Yeah, Ruby mentioned something about some photos she had seen on social media. I haven't seen them though, so I didn't know what she was talking about."

"They're really not that bad... it's not like there were photos of us naked or going at it. I knew I wanted to go into acting from a young age, so in college I was always cautious about what I did in public and when photos might be taken. These weren't a big deal. Mal and I are holding hands and smiling at each other or hugging. I think there's one where we're she's kissing me on the cheek and the shoulder in a pool, and then there's one of us passed out and spooning on the floor of a friend's dorm room, but that was when we were really just friends and before anything more happened between us… and we were very drunk. As you have experienced, I like to cuddle after I drink."

Emma blushed. "Yeah, I noticed that."

"But, the fans found the pictures and started saying that I was secretly a lesbian, 'or at least bi,' and living in the closet," Regina said, making air quotes with her fingers and rolling her eyes. "But, I wasn't…at least not really. Mal was the only woman I've ever felt attracted to, and otherwise I've always dated men, so I never considered myself bisexual, much less a lesbian. We never labeled what we had, so I never even considered her a girlfriend in that way. I mean, I just assumed we were really close friends who enjoyed hooking up now and then and that it was usual college behavior. But, admittedly I've never had that type of relationship with any other female friends, so it probably was more than that. We broke off whatever it was we were doing after I moved to LA to pursue acting since Mal stayed in Seattle after we graduated and because I did want to be mindful of my image since my career was just getting started. That was nearly 15 years ago. We also realized that although we cared about each other a lot, we were better off as friends, which we have been ever since. She's still one of my best friends, but we haven't done anything more than kiss on the cheek since like 2004."

"So Gold is freaking out because you experimented with one woman back in college? That still seems like a bit of an overreaction."

Regina shrugged. "Right? It's ridiculous, when you think about it. But, the photos pop up from time to time, and once they're out there no one cares how long ago it was. On the internet, something from a decade ago may as well have been from last week. Nothing disappears."

"Why don't you just say that you were drunk and in college the next time they come up again? Then you could address it and kill the rumors."

Regina shrugged. "At this point, it seems like anything I say would look like I'm trying too hard to deny it, or it might backfire given that I have a lot of gay fans and I don't want to alienate them. I would just tell the truth, but Gold and the network would kill me if I admitted to any sort of relationship with Mal. It's better if I just pretend they aren't there and not engage or acknowledge their existence."

"Wait, why would they kill you? Are they really that homophobic?"

She nodded. "Sadly, yeah. The network president is extremely conservative, and we're a 'family show' and a 'family network'. Once some fans decided that my character should hook up with Ingrid's character, the network and producers were on edge, especially since there weren't any other LGBT-friendly shows on primetime network TV six or seven years ago and people still weren't all that accepting. They actually told us to downplay our interactions with each other on screen to try and remove some of the chemistry the fans saw between us. Since I was still single at the time, I didn't have any boyfriends to flaunt around at events, which immediately made people get suspicious, because apparently if a woman in her late 20s doesn't have a boyfriend, it must mean she's a lesbian," Regina realized she was starting to ramble, so she took a deep breath. "But anyway, even though I've only ever dated men since Mal, Gold is still paranoid. Especially this week because I was just out visiting with Mal and some of my other friends last weekend. Sure enough, some people posted photos that showed Mal and me laughing and hugging at a winery, and the fans wanted to turn that into something it isn't. I see her once or twice per year, and Gold always gets cagey because the original photos usually resurface right after I spend time with her. And then you got dragged into it because someone posted photos from the karaoke bar they took with some of the cast, but you and I were sitting together in the background. So, Gold thinks we're having some illicit affair...and apparently so do some of the fans, given the comments they left on the photos that Gold found. It just added fuel to the fire."

"That's insane," Emma commented.

"I know. But, it is what it is. I always remind Gold that Mal and I are just friends. Plus, it's probably better that people see that we're still friends. If we were true exes, we wouldn't still hang out casually. But, he doesn't see it that way. He just wants to protect his precious show at all costs, even if it means making my life hell half the time."

"But you're married now, so why is he concerned? Shouldn't that reassure him that there's nothing to worry about with Mal or anyone else?"

Regina laughed. "Well, that's actually a much longer and more complex situation, and it definitely requires wine. Hang on."

* * *

Regina got off the bed and walked over to the mini bar, pulling out the half-empty bottle of rosé she opened earlier in the week. As she handed the bottle to Emma, room service knocked at the door to deliver their giant order of lobster macaroni and cheese. She tipped the server and brought the box over to the bed, sitting back down and digging out a forkful before sliding the box over to Emma.

"I love Robin. I really do. He's one of the most caring men I have ever met, and he is one of my best friends," Regina started to explain as she paused to take a drink directly from the wine bottle, not bothering to get a glass. "But, I'm not in love with him. I never have been."

At that revelation, Emma's head shot up from the spoonful of cheesy lobster she was currently inhaling. "What?"

"Our marriage is essentially a friends-with-benefits situation, but the benefits are quite literal rather than sexual. We were both in a place in our lives where we needed the stability that marriage provided, and while we weren't in love, the arrangement was mutually beneficial." Regina stopped her tale again to take scoop out another bite of from the room service container, while Emma just stared at her.

"Okay, I'm confused, and I'm sorry if this sounds really judgmental, but I don't get it. How do either of you benefit from a marriage where you're not actually in love with each other?"

"That's a fair question, and it's complicated. And a really long story."

"I've got time, if you want to tell me. If not, I understand. I don't want to invade your privacy."

Regina shook her head. "No, it's fine. We're already halfway down the rabbit hole, we may as well go all the way to Wonderland." She took another drink of wine, possibly to help encourage her to continue explaining the situation to Emma. "Robin and I actually met briefly through my father a year before I was cast in the _Frozen Mirror_ pilot. Robin had been an executive chef at a place my dad had frequented, and he had hired Robin to cater this annual benefit he threw every year. At the time, Robin was getting ready to move back to Montréal to live near his parents and wanted to open his own restaurant there. Marian, his first wife and mother to his two sons, had died in a car accident a year earlier, so he wanted to be closer to his family to have them help him raise his young sons…Roland was only a few months old at the time Marian was killed. After my father's event, Robin moved back to Montréal, and my father ended up being one of the financial backers for his new restaurant. He always respected Robin, so he wanted to invest in him."

Emma nodded but didn't say anything, waiting for Regina to continue.

"It turns out that Gold's brother is another investor in Robin's restaurant, which is how Gold and Robin met. When my father died during the hiatus between seasons two and three of _Frozen Mirror_ , I met Robin again at his funeral…he had come to pay his respects to my father. Gold came to the funeral, too, and when he saw us talking, he got it in his head that Robin and I would make an attractive couple. This all happened right around the time when the femslash fans had really overtaken the fandom and started shipping my character with Ingrid's and shipping us in real life. Gold was worried because Ingrid and I were both single, so he wasn't pleased by the speculation that we were secretly involved. Gold strongly encouraged me to take Robin to the network's season premiere party, which I agreed to because I did enjoy Robin's company. He had turned out to be a good friend, helping me through my father's death since he had spent the previous few years working through his grief over his wife's passing."

"So then what happened? How did you go from a premiere party fake date to a fake marriage? That's quite a leap."

"Well, Gold started inviting Robin to network parties and hiring him to cater show events, which inevitably gave him the opportunity to put us together long enough for a few photos that Gold could then send out to the press or post online. A lot of the fans seemed to love us together, which encouraged Gold even more. Later that year, at the end of season three, I started getting some strange fanmail, beyond the usual declarations of love from young fangirls that I had grown accustomed to. This was from a middle-aged man named Sidney. He started sending me inappropriate gifts, asking me out on dates, and showing up on set to watch the show film. That part wasn't unusual because we film on the maritime ports of Nova Scotia, which is all public property, but he lingered a bit too long and tried to get too close. A few weeks later, things started showing up at the house I was renting, which scared me. It's one thing when things show up to set, but this felt way too personal and like a line had been crossed, even though he never made any direct threats. I mentioned all this to the producers and they did their best to keep Sidney Glass from set, but the gifts continued to appear both on set and at my home."

"That's terrifying."

"Yeah, it was. I was really starting to freak out at that point, especially because I lived alone that house. Anyway, Gold invited me to lunch one day while we were doing a press tour in Montréal, and conveniently he took me to Robin's restaurant. It turns out he asked Robin to join us as well. He then sat us down with a literal proposal: he told us to get married."

Emma nearly choked on the wine she had just sipped. "What?!"

Regina nodded. "The alleged gossip about Ingrid and me had continued to spread, despite his orchestration to make it look like Robin and I were a couple. Gold thought a marriage would help quell the lesbian rumors significantly, and he thought it might help get rid of my stalker by letting him know that I was seriously involved with a man. He figured that would make Sidney back off, and if nothing else, Robin's presence might help keep me safe if anything were to escalate. Meanwhile, Robin would benefit because I was becoming more well-known, and therefore I could help promote his restaurant. He had been hoping to expand to a second concept restaurant in another part of Montréal, so this would help him do it faster and guarantee its success. As Gold put it, with a few tweets and photos from me, half of Quebec would be in line for his food. Plus, Gold knew that I loved Robin's kids. I never saw myself getting married or having kids of my own, but I adored those boys from the first time I met them. Roland and Henry seemed to be taken with me as well, so this would give them a mother figure in their life, even if it wasn't true love for Robin and me. Gold then left us to talk it over, and we realized that as crazy as it was, the arrangement did make sense for both of us. We had become very good friends over that year, so we figured we could easily make it believable and we would be okay with it. Neither of us had the time or energy to actively date, so it's not like we'd be missing out on anything better by playing house with each other. I figured it might be nice to have a companion to come home to, even if it was just a roommate…which is essentially what we are."

Emma frowned. "I can't imagine having to live like that."

Regina shrugged. "It's not ideal, but it worked. After we decided to agree to Gold's idea, Robin and I came up with an engagement story. We said that he proposed in his restaurant's kitchen after cooking a private dinner for the two of us. We went to a vintage jeweler down the street that night, and we picked out a ring and took a few selfies in the kitchen. I announced the engagement and told the story on my Instagram and Twitter accounts the next morning. Within weeks the letters from Sidney completely stopped, much to my relief. By the beginning of season four, we were married. We more or less eloped in Quebec City during a long weekend, after arranging a very detailed prenuptial agreement to protect both of us since we knew this wasn't going to be a life-long commitment. We had a small number of friends and family there to get photos and make it look believable, but we didn't want a big wedding that might make the ruse blow up in our faces. I don't think either of us would have been able to pull it off if we had to declare our undying love for each other in front of everyone we knew. Even today, no one other than Gold knows …well, and now you…and my therapist Archie because one day I lost it and confessed everything to him. But even Roland and Henry don't realize the truth yet."

Emma looked surprised. "Well, for what it's worth, you guys are very believable. I have seen the photos you've posted, and you guys look like you're in love."

Regina smiled. "Robin is surprisingly a very convincing actor. He's great when we're out in public together. The fans love him. It's been almost four years and he still pulls it off, even though we're both exhausted by it. We even tried to be a couple when we first got married, thinking that would be easier… that maybe if we tried hard enough we would change our minds and learn to love each other in that way. We had date nights, went on vacations as a family, even had sex a few times, but we realized that we would never be anything more than really great friends – there's no sexual or romantic chemistry between us. But, we are able to look the part in public and in the photos we post of us around our house, so that's all that matters…at least in Gold's eyes. He thinks we've been slipping, though, which is why he was extra hard on me this week. Usually Robin and I are really good about portraying our relationship on social media, but we've both been preoccupied with other things that we haven't been maintaining the standards Gold set for us."

"It's none of my business, but are you really okay with this? It sounds kind of miserable."

Regina looked down and shrugged. "Like I said, it's far from ideal. But, it works. Or at least is does most of the time, until one of us starts to fall for someone else. Then we have to figure out how to handle it."

"Does that happen often?" Emma asked.

Regina shook her head. "No. Almost never." The tear Regina had been trying to hold back finally escaped, and Emma wiped it away with her thumb before she could think better of it.

"Regina," she said tentatively, waiting for the brunette to look her in the eye as she cradled Regina's cheek in her palm. "What's wrong?" Emma didn't really need to ask, because she knew. But, she figured Regina needed to say it out loud for herself. Emma could tell that this conversation was in some way cathartic for Regina, so she wanted her to say what she needed to say.

"Even though I love Robin, it's lonely to never really be in love, or to even have the opportunity to try to find it," she finally whispered, slowly focusing her eyes back on Emma's.

Emma understood that feeling. As Ruby so bluntly pointed out earlier in the day, Emma had never been in a relationship, and she had never been in love. She had always told herself that she didn't need to love anyone because she was fiercely independent, but she knew she only convinced herself of that as a defense mechanism. Emma had become so self-conscious about her lack of relationship experience that she had resigned herself to being single, because who would want to be with someone who was almost 30 and had never been in a serious relationship? But Emma knew that somewhere buried inside herself, she desperately craved a connection like that.

Regina and Emma continued to look at each other, suddenly feeling heavy with the thick tension that surrounded them. Emma subconsciously bit her lower lip, causing Regina to lean toward her and rest her hand on Emma's thigh. As Regina started to close the distance, deciding that she would finally act on the pull she felt toward Emma, there was a knock at her door.

"Mills, open up!" Graham's voice echoed throughout the room as the two women bolted upright and moved away from each other, startled.

Regina gave Emma an apologetic look before she walked over to the door, leaving Emma questioning whether Regina was sorry for the interruption or for their almost-kiss. Emma got off the bed and moved over to the sofa, putting some physical distance between them. "What is it, Graham?" Regina asked as she opened the door.

"C'mon Mills, we're going swimming on the roof. Bring your hot friend," he winked at Emma when he saw her behind Regina.

"Graham, you're married," Regina rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, so are you," he smirked, causing Regina to tense up. If he noticed the change in her demeanor, he didn't say anything. "You both better be up there in five or the rest of us will come down here and haul your asses up there ourselves."

Regina closed the door as he walked away. "So, apparently we're going swimming."

Emma just smiled.

* * *

 **A/N:** Guest reviewer Admiral (since I can't PM you as a guest): I appreciate your feedback, so thank you for writing a review! I had intentionally wanted to make Gold the producer rather than Regina's publicist because of the backstory I had worked out for him and the bigger picture...hopefully this chapter helped explain it :). I'm glad that you felt he cared too much about Regina's image, though, because I wanted that bit of mystery/uncertainty in the story as to why he was so focused on her specifically. As always with Gold, he's looking out for number 1. At the end of the day, he doesn't give a shit about Regina (which is why he couldn't be her publicist, since they actually have to care about their clients); he just wants to keep his show on the air.

Also, I fangirled so hard when I saw photos from SBUK3 yesterday and LP was wearing a Grateful Dead shirt haha (especially because I ordered that exact one a few days ago). I didn't realize she was a fan of theirs when I included that whole conversation in this fic, so that was a crazy realization. Here's hoping someone posts the full panel videos from the con on youtube soon.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm hoping I'll be able to stick to my twice/week updates, but if not then the next one will be up next Sunday. There are probably 3-ish more chapters to go.


	9. Chapter 9: Balcony Confessions

**A/N:** This site has had some issues with alerts recently (I'm no longer getting emails for the stories I follow/only see updates if I happen to go to my "alerts" menu on the site)...which also means I'm not getting emails when I get new reviews. I think I've responded to all of them via PM, but if I missed yours, I apologize. I appreciate all the feedback on this story and everyone who takes the time to leave a comment.

Also, I'm so pumped for the musical tonight. I may have had "Love Doesn't Stand a Chance" on repeat for the past 72 hours.

Without further ado, here's the next installment!

* * *

"I can't remember the last time I went swimming," Emma commented as she dried off before throwing on her shorts and tank over the simple black halter bikini she had borrowed from Regina. "That was so much fun."

"Are you ladies going to join us?" David asked as he walked over to where Regina and Emma were standing by a pool chair.

"Join you for what?" Regina asked, pulling on her denim shorts and a chambray button-down shirt, not bothering to button it and loosely tying the bottom instead.

"The after party, of course. Come over to our room whenever you're done up here."

"We wouldn't miss it," Regina laughed. David seemed satisfied with her answer and jogged to catch up with his wife, who was making her way toward the stairs to exit the rooftop deck.

* * *

Regina and Emma went down to David and Mary-Margaret's hotel room to join Zelena, Belle, and Graham, who were already there. "Where's Daniel?" Regina asked as she and Emma walked in and Graham handed her an uncorked bottle of prosecco. She took a sip before passing it to Emma, who followed Regina's lead and took a swig from the bottle.

"He's off with his wife somewhere. I guess they weren't in the partying mood," Graham said.

"Their loss. More for us," David said as he walked over, handing Graham a small decorative wooden box. "Shall we get this party started?"

Regina's eyes drifted to the box in Graham's hands and smirked. "Yes, let's," she said, taking it from him in her left hand as she grabbed Emma's hand with her right. She led them over to the sofa in the corner and set the box on the coffee table.

Emma sat down next to Regina on the couch as Graham sat down on the other side of Regina. She watched as Regina opened the box and pulled out a small mason jar, a pipe, and some rolling papers. Graham wasted no time and promptly took the pipe as he opened the jar and immediately lit up with the Zippo he had in his pocket. Regina raised an eyebrow and he looked back at her. "You know that patience has never been a virtue of mine, Regina. I had seven hours of panels and events today. I need this."

"Don't we all," Regina chuckled at Graham as she took out one of the papers and looked over at Emma. The realization hit her that the blonde hadn't said anything since they walked in the room, and she hoped Emma wasn't offended by the jar of marijuana casually open on the table. "Oh, Emma, I'm sorry, I should have asked…do you mind if we smoke?"

Emma bit back a laugh. "As long as you share, I don't mind at all."

Regina let out a breath. "That can be arranged."

Emma laughed. "Did you really think I would care? We spent a good portion of last night talking about the Grateful Dead. I have no problem with a little pot."

"I know, that's why I assumed, but you haven't said anything since we walked in so I started to get worried."

"I was just observing. I haven't seen you this carefree since we got back to the hotel this morning. It's nice to see you relax."

"Well, the weed helps. Not gonna lie." Emma chuckled and nodded in agreement as Regina started rolling a joint.

Emma watched as Regina expertly rolled it, delicately licking the edges of the paper and folding it into place. "Clearly this is not your first time," Emma said.

Regina shrugged. "Definitely not, although it's been awhile since I rolled one. Fortunately muscle memory does seem to work. It's like riding a bike." She briefly admired her own handiwork before placing it between her lips and grabbing Grahams lighter from the table. She inhaled slowly as leaned against the back of the couch, audibly sighing as she exhaled out a large puff of smoke. "Oh God, I didn't know how much I needed that," she said, passing the joint to Emma.

Emma gladly accepted it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep inhale, pausing for a moment before releasing a steady stream of smoke with her exhale.

"Clearly not your first time, either," Regina commented as she watched her. Emma shook her head and grinned, handing the blunt back to Regina. "Do you want your own or are you okay to keep sharing this one?"

Emma opened her eyes to look back at Regina. "Sharing is fine. Truthfully, it's been awhile so I don't want to overdo it. Especially if I'm drinking this," she said, holding up the bottle of wine that was still clutched in her hand.

"Good call."

* * *

Forty-five minutes later and the cast of _Frozen Mirror,_ and Emma, were sufficiently stoned and well on their way to being drunk. Someone (it's hard to say who) had turned on music, and now Pink Floyd was blaring through the TV speakers. Regina rolled her eyes at the how cliché they were. "Really, now all we need is someone to turn on the Wizard of Oz and mute the sound," she whispered to Emma, as they sat in the corner of the sofa, legs intertwined on the coffee table. Emma's right arm was draped around Regina's shoulder, and she still held onto the half-empty bottle of Prosecco in her right hand. She did her best to try to get Regina to drink it, but the angle was awkward so they ended up spilling more than they drank. In their current state of mind, they determined spilling wasn't a big deal because they were still in their swimsuits. Regina handed Emma the last bit of the joint they had been sharing – this one Emma had rolled, as David had pilfered the first joint Regina had prepared shortly after she lit it, claiming that it was his weed so he and Mary-Margaret should get first dibs. As Emma took the final hit, Regina made a suggestion. "It's loud in here, and Zelena is starting to hit her extra-bitchy phase of inebriation. Want to go outside?"

"Sure," Emma said as Regina stood up and walked toward the balcony.

Regina slid open the door, closing it behind her once Emma stepped through. Emma sat down on the lone chaise on the balcony, and Regina immediately joined her. The balcony was dark, since Regina didn't bother to turn on the light switch before stepping outside. The only light source came from the lamps in the hotel room, which were just bright enough for Emma and Regina to be able to see each other as long as they sat close together. Regina figured this was better, because they could see into the room, but her castmates inside wouldn't be able to see them in the dark – this would give them some sense of privacy.

Despite their overly-friendly flirtation throughout the day and their intoxicated state, both Emma and Regina suddenly felt awkward now that they were alone and hadn't addressed their near-kiss earlier in Regina's hotel room. Regina took the bottle of prosecco from Emma and took a long drink before she spoke. "Look, Emma, I'm sorry for earlier," she started.

"What for?" Emma looked up at Regina and studied her face, her concern growing as she noticed Regina wouldn't look her in the eyes.

"For the moment before Graham knocked on the door…for almost kissing you. I don't know what I was thinking," Regina continued and finally found the courage to look at Emma. Regina thought she saw a pained look cross Emma's face before she quickly resumed a neutral expression. "Oh, Emma, no I don't mean it like that. I just mean that I didn't think it through…I wasn't thinking at all, actually, and I let my emotions get the best of me before my brain could catch up."

"Regina, you don't have anything to apologize for," Emma said, taking the bottle of wine back from Regina to take a sip.

"Yes, I do. You've been so kind and honest the past few days and I don't want to jeopardize anything or make you uncomfortable."

"Regina," she said, placing her hand on Regina's knee. "You're not jeopardizing anything, I wasn't uncomfortable, and you don't need to be sorry for acting on your emotions. From what you told me, it sounds like you've been suppressing and hiding yourself for far too long. You're stressed, you're tired and you had just talked about something that I imagine is a huge burden for you…you're allowed to feel something and act on it from time to time."

Regina chuckled. "That's the thing, though. I don't know what I feel. I don't know anything anymore."

Emma gave her a sympathetic smile. "I think you do know, though. You just have to let yourself."

Regina surprised Emma when she turned the conversation on her. "What do you feel?"

Emma nearly dropped the bottle of wine she was holding. "What?"

"What do you feel?...about this…about what happened earlier," Regina asked, looking hesitantly at Emma as she awaited the blonde's response.

She took a deep breath, hoping that her response was what Regina wanted to hear. "Well, I know I feel drawn to you – a connection – that I have never experienced before...with anyone."

Regina looked up. "Really?"

Emma nodded before taking another drink of wine and passing it back to Regina. "Mmhmm. I don't connect with people easily, so I'm not used to feeling so strongly for someone, especially this quickly, and I rarely feel any sort of physical attraction to anyone, much less another woman. I mean, I wouldn't have had the nerve to try to kiss you, because I would have been afraid of how you would react, but I'm not gonna lie… the thought definitely cross my mind a few times since we met, and that scares me."

Regina allowed herself to smile briefly, before hiding it. "How come?"

"Well for one, it's a confusing feeling. But mainly because I've only gotten close to a few people, and it's never ended well," Emma said. "It's easier not to let myself get involved at all. I think I've been suppressing that aspect of myself as much as you have been."

Regina nodded in understanding, but said nothing, hoping Emma would continue.

"My most recent relationship, which wasn't a relationship at all, was with a dancer when I was 25, so almost five years ago. He was in the company as well, but I didn't really enjoy being with him and it blew up in my face when it ended after only a couple of weeks. I decided that I would never date anyone I worked with ever again, and it's not like I had time to go out and find anyone else. I focused all my energy into my career, so I haven't prioritized relationships at all…I barely have been able to keep my friendships going, let alone anything romantic. At this point, it's just easier for me to continue prioritizing other aspects of my life and not think about what I might be missing out on. I've always been fiercely independent, so I've been able to convince myself that it's fine."

Regina nodded. "So you get it, then."

"What?"

"That loneliness…wanting something that seems just beyond your reach, but that other people seem to have. And then trying to talk yourself out of wanting it, out of needing it. You even start to think that maybe you're incapable of feeling that way about another person, like you're somehow broken," Regina explained, fidgeting with the thin silver band on her left ring finger. "What I have with Robin…he's a great friend, but it's not enough. It's a constant reminder of what I don't have and may never have."

"At least you aren't alone," Emma said softly.

Regina shook her head and moved closer to Emma on the chaise, turning to face her and handing over the wine bottle. "Sometimes I think that would be better. At least I wouldn't wake up every day knowing that I'm only married to someone out of convenience and necessity. Plus, I feel guilty. I know that Robin agreed to this and he gets quite a bit out of our arrangement, but I can't help but feel like I'm the reason he can't find someone to love. I'm holding him back." Regina reclined against the chaise as she continued. "Sometimes I think I would rather be alone and single. I did that for years before Robin and I got married. There's something exponentially worse about being with someone else and still feeling lonely, especially when, to the outside world, the relationship looks perfect and everyone fawns over it."

Emma tried to process what Regina had said as she took a drink.

"Did you know that that the show's fans have actually given us a couple name? It's 'Robina.' And whenever we post one of our fake happy couple photos online, a thousand girls comment that we're 'relationship goals'," Regina said, using her fingers to make air quotes before collapsing against the back of the chaise and wiping her eyes before any tears could escape. "It hurts, pretending to be something we're not."

After contemplating what she had heard, Emma nodded her head in understanding. Both women were now in a much more somber mood. She finally broke the silence and tried to bring some levity back to their conversation: "Wow, did we really just play a round of 'whose love life is more pathetic'?"

Regina laughed and snatched the bottle of wine back, noticing that it was almost empty. "Well, it sounds like neither one of us really have much of a love life, so I think it's a tie."

As Regina took a sip, Emma asked her if she could ask a question. When Regina nodded, Emma asked her the question that had been on her mind since she first learned the truth about Regina's marriage. "I hope this isn't rude, but this question won't go away so I need to ask it…who is Robin sleeping with? If you guys aren't doing it and you've been together for almost four years, he has to be sleeping with someone. While I can maybe wrap my head around a guy agreeing to a fake marriage, most guys I know wouldn't agree to a life of chastity."

Regina lets out a deep, genuine laugh. She didn't know if it was the wine, the weed, or finally hearing her own the situation through the lens of another person that was making her find this whole thing ridiculous. "We have an agreement. He had a vasectomy right after Roland was born, before we even met. So, he can't get anyone pregnant, which makes it a little less anxiety-inducing for both of us. Frankly, he's so busy with the boys and restaurant that he doesn't have much time to meet other people. He watches a lot of porn, and if we're both really feeling the need to get out some tension we'll get each other off, even though it's not particularly great for either of us. Otherwise, I just tell him to be discreet and not to bring anyone, or anything, home. I don't know how many times he's taken advantage of our deal, but I don't ask."

Feeling bold and fueled by alcohol, and genuinely curious, Emma asked Regina the other question that had been on her mind. "What about you?"

Regina looks up from the wine bottle label she had suddenly found so very fascinating. "What about me?"

"You said you and Robin have an agreement, so I assume that it's a reciprocal deal? That seems only fair."

Regina quirked an eyebrow. "It is. But I've never acted on it."

Emma seemed stunned. "What? Really? You're gorgeous. You could have anyone you want."

Regina blushed. "That's the thing, though. I haven't really wanted anyone in years. I've never been one to casually sleep with someone, even before Robin came along…with the exception of Mal, though I guess that just reinforces the idea that maybe we were actually more than I thought we were. I've never had a one-night stand, because it's never appealed to me. I had a few boyfriends here and there before _Frozen Mirror,_ but they were few and far between and never lasted very long. And after marrying Robin, I couldn't take the risk of trying to find someone I might potentially be interested in, because it's such a fucked up situation to bring another person into. Plus then there's the media, and the fans, and Gold, who would all lose it if it looked like I was cheating on Robin. So, it's always been easier to just play along and keep to myself…at least until _Frozen Mirror_ is done and I'm not living under Gold and the network's thumb. Until then, I manage to get by." Regina looked down at the bottle in her hand. "Do you mind if I finish this?" She asked, noting that there were only a few swallows of wine left.

"No, go ahead. You need it more than I do." Regina chuckled as she tilted her head back and downed what was left, closing her eyes as she savored the taste and rested her head against the back of the chaise. "Regina, why did you tell me all of this?" Regina looked up at Emma with an expression that was hard to read. Emma thought she saw something that might look like hurt and regret, so she quickly clarified. "I mean, I'm glad that you did. I just meant that when I asked you about Gold's reaction to us earlier, you could have lied, or you could have stopped at the end of your story about Mal and let me continue thinking you were happily married to Robin. You just met me the other day, and for all you know I could turn around and write a tell-all and sell it to the media."

Regina set the empty bottle down on the ground next to the chaise and sat up to face Emma. "Honestly? I don't know. It could have been a very stupid decision. But, I just felt like I could trust you, and I've kept this a secret for so long that I just really needed to tell someone. I couldn't tell any of my castmates, because I couldn't risk them accidentally letting something slip when we're all out together, or looking at us differently when we're doing promotions since Robin is often there with us. I need them to believe that we're a happy couple as much as we need the fans to believe it. Nor do I want them knowing something that personal about me…" Regina looked over her shoulder, back into the hotel room and her friends who were still drinking and dancing around inside. She then looked down at her hands and started twisting her wedding band. "They're pretty much the only people I have in Nova Scotia, other than Robin and the boys when they're in town. I don't want them to look at me with pity because they know about my sham of a marriage."

"None of them know?" Emma asked.

Regina shook her head. "I think Zelena suspects something because she's always making comments, but it could just be her trying to be a bitch. I haven't even told Mal the truth, because I only see her a few times a year and I want to be able to enjoy our time together and not have the heavy truth hanging over us."

Emma reached out and grabbed Regina's hand to stop her from fidgeting, tugging her just slightly and bringing Regina closer to her. "Just so we're clear, I would never betray your trust, Regina. I'm glad you told me." Regina looked up at her and Emma felt emboldened. She cupped Regina's cheek with her right hand to wipe away a few stray tears before she softly grazed Regina's lips with her own. Emma moved slowly, wanting to give Regina plenty of opportunity to stop it if she wanted. Instead, she felt Regina kiss her back, deepening it slightly, though still hesitant.

Regina broke the kiss a few moments later, resting their foreheads together as she brought her hand up to Emma's that was still resting on her cheek. She gently grasped her wrist to pull it away from her face as she interlaced their fingers, bringing their joined hands down to the space on the chaise between them. Regina tenderly ran her thumb across Emma's knuckles as she found the nerve to look at Emma's face, seeing a mix of affection, kindness, and concern in Emma's eyes, but no sign of pity. She brought her free hand to Emma's face, running her thumb across her lips before moving her hand behind Emma's neck to lightly pull her toward her as she kissed her again. This time she was more confident, giving herself permission to take a risk for the first time in more than seven years.

Emma responded in kind, wrapping her free arm around Regina's lower back and narrowing the space between them. Despite the desire that had built up between them over the past few days, they took their time, as it was the first time either woman had felt this level of connection with another person in a long time, if ever - they didn't want to rush through it. Regina hesitantly ran her tongue across Emma's lower lip, seeking permission that was quickly granted. Without breaking the kiss, Regina leaned against the back of the chaise, pulling Emma down with her. Emma settled next to Regina and they continued to embrace the opportunity before them. A few quiet moans were exchanged, and Emma slowly moved her right hand up Regina's waist, venturing up to the exposed skin of her abdomen where her unbuttoned chambray shirt parted. When she didn't meet any resistance, she continued her exploration, softly moving her fingers across Regina's ribcage and in between her breasts. Regina kissed her a bit more passionately, giving Emma silent permission to continue. Emma's fingers skirted over the soft fabric of Regina's bikini top until her thumb worked its way just under the flexible elastic band, grazing underside of her breast and causing a moan that Emma recalled hearing during their massage appointment earlier that afternoon.

"Regi-oh, shit!" Mary-Margaret gasped as she stepped out onto the balcony. Emma and Regina hastily separated, putting as much space as they could between them. "Oh God, I'm so sorry."

Regina quickly regained her composure, while Emma tried to hide her embarrassment and fear. She was worried what this would mean for Regina since they had been caught. "It's fine. What did you need, Mary-Margaret?"

"Umm…I…uhh…"

"I presume you came out here for a reason." It was a statement, rather than a question. Regina was not amused at the woman's inability to form a sentence. She then noticed something in Mary-Margaret's hand. "Is that my phone?"

"Right. Yes. You left it inside and it kept ringing. They were relentless so I looked at the screen to see who it was. It was Robin, so I thought it might be important since he kept calling," she explained, handing Regina her phone.

"Oh, thank you," Regina said as Mary-Margaret scurried back inside. Regina sat back against the chaise, suddenly worried something may have happened to him or one of the boys. It was unusual for him to call this late when she was at conventions or doing press tours. He knew she would either be out at a party or asleep. She debated whether she should call him back or wait for him to call her again.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, finally finding her voice now that Mary-Margaret had left them alone.

Regina smiled and put a reassuring hand on Emma's thigh. "Yeah…I am."

Emma still looked uneasy. "But what about…" she trailed off, nodding her head toward Mary-Margaret, who had turned on the balcony light after she went back inside, ending any semblance of privacy they had previously had in the dark.

"I'll handle her. I'll think of something to-" Regina was interrupted by her phone ringing in her hand. "Hey, Robin, is everything okay?" She stood up and walked over to the balcony railing, resting her forearms against it as she looked out over the darkness and listened to her husband's voice on the phone. "Oh, okay... Do you need me to come down there? … Okay...yeah, no problem…" Regina sighed as Robin asked her to hold for a minute. She turned around to face a concerned Emma while waiting for Robin to start talking again.

"Are Robin and the boys all right?" Emma whispered.

"Yeah, they're fine."

"Oh, good," Emma let out a breath. "So everything's okay, then?"

Regina shrugged. "Probably not. Robin's downstairs."

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, here's a little cliffhanger for you :). Apparently I lied in my Chapter One A/N when I said Robin would be talked about but not seen...I wasn't planning on him actually appearing, but I changed my mind as I got further into writing the story. But, I didn't lie when I said this is definitely a SQ story.

As of now there will be one more chapter and an epilogue, although the next chapter is getting a little long so I might split it into two. If I do that, there will be a mid-week post and then another one next Sunday. If I keep it as one, then I'll have it up on Sunday.

I do have a few other stories in mind (all contemporary AU and maybe one AU FTL story at this point), so hopefully I'll have some new material in the coming weeks as well. If you feel so inclined, you can always follow/favorite me so you get updates when I post a new story (if FF gets their act together and actually starts emailing again). Most of the stories I have in mind are SQ, but there may be an OQ in there, too (because Regina is my favorite and I like her with both of them...but if that's not your thing, no worries. There will be more SQ to come. And if you do like OQ, I wrote a short 5-part fic a month ago on here called "An Awkward Reveal.")


	10. Chapter 10: Clarifications

**A/N:** So how entertaining was the musical episode? I'm obsessed. Anyway, I finished this chapter on Sunday and it ended up being much longer than I expected, so I broke it up into two. The next (and final) installment will be up on Sunday, per usual. There will be likely be a very short epilogue to follow. This picks up right where Chapter 9 left off.

* * *

"Yeah, I'm still here," Regina said as she heard Robin start talking again on the phone. She maintained her eye contact with Emma, who looked both relieved and concerned, if that was even possible. "…Hold up. Wait. He actually blackmailed you? God, Robin, I'm so sorry…. Yeah, come up to David and Mary-Margaret's room when you get up here….Room 714….okay, see you soon." Regina hung up the phone and let out a sigh. "Damn it," she said, softly.

"What happened?"

"I think we really spooked Gold earlier. He called Robin and demanded that he fly down here, reminding him that his brother still has a vested interest in his restaurant and can pull back his funding of his newest venture. Robin already leased the space and needs that seed money, so he can't risk losing his investor," Regina explained. "Robin's just waiting for the front desk to get him an extra key to my room, and then he'll be up here in a few."

Suddenly they heard the balcony door slide open, and Mary-Margaret poked her head out. "Regina, is everything okay with your family?

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Robin made an unexpected trip and he's on his way up from the lobby. He was just calling to let me know."

"Oh, that's so nice that he made it after all," Mary-Margaret said, sending a judgmental look to Emma.

Emma nodded as she started to pace the length of the balcony, clearly on the verge of freaking out. "Okay. I should probably be heading home."

"That's probably for the best," Mary-Margaret said, never taking her eyes off the blonde.

"Mary-Margaret, that's enough. Mind your own business and go back inside," Regina said rather harshly. She watched her close the balcony door as she stepped back inside, and then Regina turned to walk over to Emma. She softened her voice and lightly grabbed her arms to stop Emma from pacing. "Emma, please don't go. Don't worry about Robin. I told you, he and I aren't really together."

"I know, but there's Gold, and now Mary-Margaret, and Robin's here, and you have a lot to deal with."

Regina pulled Emma into a hug and kissed her forehead. "Let me worry about that. I can handle them. Just, please don't leave. Not yet, anyway. I'll talk to Robin when he gets here and it'll be fine…you'll see," Regina said as she offered a small smile.

Emma didn't seem convinced, but she complied. "Fine. I won't leave…yet."

"Thank you," she said, releasing her grip on the other woman. Regina turned around and saw that Robin had just walked into the hotel room inside. "Okay, he's here. I'll introduce you."

Emma nodded as she followed Regina through the door. "God, this is so fucking weird."

Regina laughed. "You're not wrong. Welcome to my life."

"Oh, Emma! And Regina! There you ladies are. Regina, I was just catching up with your better half," David announced as he handed Robin a glass of bourbon and offered him a joint, which he politely declined. Clearly Mary-Margaret had not yet shared her discovery of Regina and Emma with her husband, as he seemed to be oblivious to the tension in the room.

Putting on her public mask, Regina walked over to Robin. "Hi, babe. I missed you," she said, placing a chaste kiss on his lips in order to keep up the appearances of being part of a happy, loving couple in front of her castmates. Emma tried not to let it bother her as she watched the scene play out in front of her. Regina grabbed Robin's hand briefly before introducing the pair. "Robin, this is Emma. Emma, this is Robin."

Robin extended his hand to Emma. "It's great to meet you, Emma. I've heard nice things about you."

Emma accepted the proffered hand. "Likewise."

Regina hoped Emma didn't feel as awkward as she herself did, but by the look on the blonde's face and the look in her eyes, she most certainly did. "Emma, can you excuse us for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

"Thank you. I won't be long," Regina said as she walked past the blonde, brushing their shoulders together. She took Robin's hand and led him to the balcony.

Emma sat down on the couch in the corner, sitting next to Graham and Zelena who were making their way through the last of the pot. Even though she watched these people on TV each week and had spent some time with them at the karaoke bar, she suddenly felt very awkward without Regina as her guide. "You look like you need this," Graham interrupted her thoughts as he handed her a joint. She sent him a grateful look as she took a hit and passed it back. She caught Mary-Margaret staring at her from across the room, looking at her as if she was a dirty mistress.

Graham stood up to get a drink refill, and Mary-Margaret took the opportunity to take his place on the couch. Zelena looked at both women, noticing the tension between them. "Okay, what the hell happened between you two?" She finally asked.

"Nothing," they both replied at the same time.

"Oh please, there is something going on here and I don't know what it is, so someone tell me right now."

Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes as she resumed sending her death glare to Emma.

* * *

Meanwhile, Regina led Robin to the balcony and sat across from him on the chaise. A smile graced her lips as she thought back to the moment she and Emma shared in that spot not too long ago. He looked back into the hotel room and could see Emma's paranoid expression. "So, that's Emma? She's quite lovely."

"Yes, she is."

He raised an eyebrow at his wife. "So, what exactly is going on there?"

Regina blushed. "It's…progressed, since the last time I talked to you."

"I can see that," he chuckled. "The front desk gave me an extra key to your room, but do you want me to crash somewhere else for the night so you can have it to yourself?"

Regina laughed. "No, that won't be necessary. I won't sexile you. But, I was planning on giving Emma the option to stay here tonight. It's late, and we've been drinking and smoking all night, and she lives like a half hour away. She shouldn't drive."

"How very thoughtful of you," he winked. Regina just rolled her eyes as she stood up and headed back inside. As soon as they came back in, Emma approached them.

"Look, Regina, I know you wanted me to stay but I think I should leave."

Regina reached out and grabbed her forearm. "Really, Emma, it's fine. You don't have to go, unless you really want to. I understand if you do, but please don't feel like you need to leave or like you're not welcome here."

"Regina's right, Emma. Please don't leave on my account. It's fine, truly," Robin said.

Emma looked over her shoulder and saw both Zelena and Mary-Margaret watching the exchange with suspicion, but for very different reasons. Regina followed Emma's gaze and her eyes landed on Mary-Margaret. "Emma, did Mary-Margaret say anything to you? Or did Zelena do anything stupid or, well, Zelena-like?"

Emma looked back at Regina and shook her head. "No. Zelena clearly knew something was up and was trying to get the gossip from me or Mary-Margaret, but neither of us said anything so Zelena's just pouting. Mary-Margaret didn't say anything to me, but she's been giving me dirty looks ever since we came in off the balcony."

"Ugh, Emma, I'm sorry. This ends now. Excuse me."

"Take your time…we'll be fine," Robin said as his wife started to storm off.

Regina walked over to Mary-Margaret and grabbed her arm. "Mary-Margaret, come with me, please."

"Regina, I—"

"I wasn't asking, dear. Outside. Now." Regina gave her a healthy shove toward the balcony door and followed her out, closing the door behind her.

Emma watched as Regina took Mary-Margaret outside and appeared to be starting a very intense conversation. "Emma," Robin started, causing her to turn around and face him. He continued, keeping his voice low so only she could hear him. "I want to reassure you that you don't need to worry about anything. I don't know exactly what's going on between you two because I haven't had much time to talk with Regina, but I've never seen her like this in all the years I've known her."

Emma smiled politely. "I'm not really sure what to say to that…or to you, for that matter."

"You don't have to say anything. I trust that Regina knows what she's doing, and I assume she's told you at least a little bit about our situation..." Emma nodded, so he continued. "Then, that's all there is to it. I care about her a lot, and I do love her even if it's not in the way I'm supposed to as her husband. So, all I ask is that you respect her and her decisions. She doesn't trust others easily, but she seems to have put a lot of trust in you, perhaps at risk to herself. Please don't break it…or her heart."

"I don't trust others easily, either. I wouldn't ever do anything to jeopardize that," Emma said.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

* * *

After closing the balcony door, Regina turned to face Mary-Margaret, channeling her _Frozen Mirror_ demon alter ego to stare her down. Mary-Margaret scoffed. "Are you really trying to go all evil villain on me right now? C'mon, Regina."

Regina maintained her stoic expression and cut to the chase. "What do you think you saw when you came out on the balcony earlier?"

"It looked like you were crossing second base with that woman."

"Okay first, she has a name."

Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes. "I don't care to know the name of some woman who is looking for a one-night stand with a celebrity so she can run and sell it to the tabloids."

Regina sneered and continued. "Second, _Emma,"_ she said, emphasizing the blonde's name, "is not looking to be the cause of or to stir up any gossip. You don't know the first thing about her – that's not who she is, and there was not going to be any one-night stand."

"Regina, be real. You barely know her. You just met her. What the hell are you thinking? How drunk are you that you would be willing to throw away your marriage over some drunken experimentation? Robin loves you so much. How could you do this to him? And to Henry and Roland?" Mary-Margaret sounded as if she was personally victimized by Regina's alleged affair.

"I know her better than you could ever comprehend. I'm not throwing away anything. There's a lot about Robin and me and our relationship that you don't know, Mary-Margaret, and frankly you don't need to know it. It doesn't concern you," Regina said. "And as for Robin, he has nothing to worry about. Our marriage is solid. It's never been stronger. Just let this go and leave us all alone."

"Fine. So what, you have an open marriage? Is this some elaborate foreplay for a threesome? Wait a second…." Mary-Margaret's face lit up as if she suddenly put the pieces together. "All those rumors years ago that freaked Gold out…were they true? Are you secretly a lesbian? Is Robin your beard? Is Robin gay, too?"

Regina rolled her eyes and hesitated for a moment, deciding whether to admit the truth. While Mary-Margaret was sweet and would probably be understanding of Regina's newly-realized fluid sexuality, she couldn't be trusted not to let the secret slip out. If that happened, Regina knew that Gold would actually murder her, and possibly bring down Robin's restaurants in the wreckage. As much as she hated it, she had to keep up appearances to protect not only herself, but her family. That made her decision easier. "No. And honestly, Mary-Margaret, I don't owe you any explanation. Just drop it," she said, getting ready to head back inside, but Mary-Margaret stepped in front of her, blocking the access to the door before Regina could walk away.

"Actually, you do. Jesus, Regina. How could you risk all of our jobs? You know how the network espouses family values and whatnot. If this tryst or whatever it is gets out, you could put the whole show in jeopardy. And it's all for what, a good lay?" Regina tried to come up with an excuse in case Mary-Margaret continued to force the issue, but before she could formulate a plan Mary-Margaret spoke again: "So, Robin would have no problem if I went in there and told him what I saw?"

"You don't know what you saw, Mary-Margaret. But no, Robin wouldn't care. He trusts me and I trust him." Mary-Margaret looked skeptical and narrowed her eyes. Regina finally thought of something and gave in, hoping Mary-Margaret would buy the ridiculous story she was about to tell. She took a deep breath for dramatic effect. "Okay, fine. Emma didn't want to say anything, but a filmmaker friend of hers is doing an independent short film and asked her to be in it. Her character is a lesbian and she has to do a small sex scene. She confided to me that she was nervous about it and feeling awkward since she hadn't even kissed another woman, so I was trying to help her get comfortable with it by showing her it isn't a big deal and it's just acting."

Mary-Margaret relaxed. "Oh. Well why didn't you just say so in the first place?"

Regina let out a sigh of relief that she believed the story. "Because she didn't want anyone to know about it. She was worried that it would make it seem like she is trying to take advantage of the situation and meeting all of us to help her break into the industry. She didn't even want to tell me about the film because she was worried I would think she was using me." Mary-Margaret nodded her head in understanding and apologized for jumping to conclusions before she went back into the room. Regina exhaled loudly in relief and frustration, running her hand through her hair. "God, I hate this," she said to herself as she walked back to the door.

"Hey Emma, can I talk to you for a second?" Regina poked her head in and summoned Emma outside.

"Sure, what's up?" Emma said as she stepped onto the balcony and closed the door.

"First, I saw you talking to Robin. Is everything okay?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, he's great and seems to really care about you. I can see why you married him," she laughed.

Regina chuckled. "Yes, he is. As far as fake husbands go, he really is the best." Regina then explained her conversation with Mary-Margaret to Emma, including the excuse she gave as to why Emma had her hand creeping under Regina's bikini top. "I'm really sorry I had to lie to her, Emma. But as long as our show is on the air and the network continues to be run by a conservative president, I can't risk the potential backlash…not for the show and everyone in the cast and crew, and not for my family." A few tears fell down her cheeks, which Emma quickly wiped away.

"Hey, Regina, it's okay. I completely understand why you have to do it. I know it sucks for you to have to keep up this public persona, and I get it. There's no reason for you to throw away years of this life you created for someone you met three days ago."

Regina shook her head. "Just because I've only known you three days doesn't mean I don't care about you, Emma. I feel more for you than I have anyone in a long time…even Mal." Emma smiled and Regina continued. "So you're not mad?"

"No, why would I be?" Emma looked at Regina and saw that she was still on the verge of tears, trying desperately to keep them at bay. Emma decided to try to lighten the mood. "Although, I'm not sure how I feel about that alibi…I've never considered acting as career and wouldn't know the first thing about how to be on camera. I'm pretty sure I would suck," Emma laughed.

Regina laughed, wiping away the remain tears on her face. "I know it's ridiculous, but it's the only thing I could think of. But for what it's worth, I think you'd be great on screen. And totally hot. I'd definitely watch that movie," she said, bumping her shoulder against Emma's as they walked back inside.

Emma leaned over to Regina and whispered in her ear. "Hmm, maybe you should write the screenplay. You could be my co-star."

* * *

The party started to wind down and Robin, Regina, and Emma decided to leave and head back to Regina's room. As they made their way down the hall toward her room, they bumped into Gold as he headed toward the ice machine. "Oh, Robin, what a pleasant surprise. How nice of you to join us," he said with a smug grin.

Robin narrowed his eyes as Regina spoke up. "Oh yes. I'm sure you're completely surprised by his appearance, Gold."

"I'm just looking out for the best interest of my show and its actors. You can thank me later, Regina, for not letting you commit career suicide," he said as he looked directly at Emma, burning a hole right through her.

"I'm doing no such thing."

"Agree to disagree, dearie. Anyone would be crazy to do anything to get themselves written off such a popular show. Need I remind you that your contract is up soon. You would have a hard time finding work after that."

Regina took a step closer to him, but Robin grabbed her hand and stopped her from getting in his face. "You don't give a shit about me or my career, Gold."

"You're right about that. I couldn't care less. But I do care about my show and securing its longevity."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Which is exactly why you won't write me off. Be real, Gold. I carry this show. Without me the show would lose at least half its fan base and wouldn't make it more than one more season. You know my fans would stick by me no matter what. Hell, half of them would probably be thrilled if they found out that I swing both ways. You can't fire me."

"Are you sure you're willing to take that chance?"

"Are you?" Regina called his bluff. She knew she was indispensable to the show, and she was enjoying finally standing up for herself to Gold. She wished she had done it sooner. However, she also knew that this temporary show of strength wouldn't change anything. The network was still a problem, and if they did fire her that would be the end of the show. She couldn't do that to the rest of the cast or crew, so she had to keep up the charade in public.

They stared each other down for nearly a minute without saying anything. Robin and Emma looked at each other and then back at the pair, watching the power struggle continue to see who would back down first. When it appeared to be a stalemate, Robin stepped in. "Regina…"

She looked back at him and then back at Gold. "Everything is fine, Gold. You got what you wanted. Robin is here now. He can come to the closing panel in the morning, you can plant someone in the audience to ask a question about 'Robina' and I'll gush about how he came down to surprise me because he's such an amazing husband and how we've never been more in love. Hell, if you want we can even go fuck in a lobby bathroom afterward and make sure that the groupies get a few photos to really solidify this act," Regina spouted with a level of venom in her voice that rivaled even her villainous character on television.

Gold rolled his eyes. "Are you very well done?" Regina just glared at him. "That won't be necessary, Regina. Despite my better judgment, I think you what's at stake for everyone, and you won't do anything to screw it up." He paused, and then challenged Regina once more to drive home his point. "And where will Miss Swan be staying tonight?" He shifted his gaze from Regina to the blonde behind her.

"Wait, how do you know my last name?" Emma asked.

"Dearie, I know everything about anyone who seems to have such a profound effect on my cast. Congratulations on the stellar review of your company's big performance, by the way. You – and Killian, was it? - must have put a lot of time and energy into that little dance group of yours. I hope you continue to find success. It would be a shame if you didn't after leaving the big city for this place."

Emma looked shocked and terrified. Regina cut in, taking a step closer to him. "Are you threatening her, Gold?

"I'm doing no such thing. I'm just congratulating a fellow visionary artist on her well-deserved accolades. I heard it was an amazing show. It's too bad you didn't get a chance to see it, Regina…" he said and walked off, leaving both Regina and Emma questioning whether he in fact knew where Regina was last night.

When they returned to Regina's hotel room, Emma sat down on the bed in stunned silence. A few moments later, she abruptly stood up. "I….I should go."

Regina and Robin both stopped her and pushed her shoulders gently so she sat back down on the bed. "You'll do no such thing. You've been drinking and are probably still a little baked. You can't drive like this," Robin said. Regina looked over at him and smiled, silently thanking him for his gesture.

"I can call a cab and then come back for my car tomorrow."

It was Regina's turn to step in. "No, Emma, you won't. You're going to stay here. Don't worry about Gold. He makes a lot of threats, but he's all bark and no bite."

"So how come you seem to be so scared of him?" Emma asked in retort.

"Because he ultimately does have power over me, and his brother has power over Robin. He can't do anything to you or Killian. Don't let him intimidate you."

Emma gave Regina a look that clearly indicated she didn't believe that.

"Regina's right, Emma. He's just trying to scare you off. Don't let him," Robin agreed. Regina reached out and grabbed Robin's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze in thanks before dropping it.

Regina sat down next to Emma and wrapped an arm around her. Emma gave into Regina's hug and rested her head on Regina's shoulder. She took a deep breath before she mumbled her submission. "Okay. I'll try not to let him get to me, and I'll stay for the night."

"Good," Regina said, but was quickly interrupted by Emma.

"But, I'm heading back home first thing in the morning. I'm not going to give him any more ammunition against either of you…or Killian, or me. I can't risk it."

Regina nodded. "I know. I understand," she said, reaching over and grabbing Emma's left hand with both of hers, resting it on Emma's lap.

Robin interrupted the moment. "Umm, if you don't mind, I'm going to go take a quick shower to get the plane smell off me. Do either of you need to get in there first? I won't be long."

Regina and Emma both shook their head. "No, go ahead," Regina said as she sent him an appreciative look, happy to have a few minutes alone with Emma. Robin grabbed a change of clothes of the duffle bag he dropped off before heading to the party and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

A few moments later Regina heard the shower turn on, so she turned to face a dazed-looking Emma. "Are you sure you're okay? What are you thinking about right now?" She looked down and realized her hands were still wrapped around Emma's hand in her lap, and she didn't dare let go.

"Honestly? I don't really know," Emma said. "This week has been a whirlwind. Just when I start to process what happened, something else comes along and throws me off balance."

Regina let out a small laugh. "I hear you."

Emma then continued. "Mainly right now, though, if I'm being totally honest, I'm wondering about the sleeping arrangements for tonight since there's only one bed in here and you wouldn't let me go home."

They both laugh at Emma's bluntness. "Robin offered to crash with Graham, but I'm sure that would get back to Gold and not do any of us any favors. I already told him you'd be staying."

"Well now who's being presumptuous?" Emma smirked as she nudged Regina's shoulder with her own.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I also told him that nothing is going to happen tonight and that we'll behave ourselves. He can sleep on the sofa over there, or the floor, or the bathtub. It's up to him."

At that moment, Robin emerged from the bathroom, dressed in plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt. "The bathroom is all yours, ladies."

"Go ahead," Regina told Emma. "Oh, I asked housekeeping to bring up an extra toothbrush, so there should be one in there for you." Emma thanked her and then went into the bathroom, leaving Regina and Robin alone in the room.

Regina turned her attention to her husband, who was plugging his cell phone charger into the wall. "Thank you, Robin, for everything you did tonight."

He walked over to her and pulled her into a friendly hug. "Of course, Regina. You know I care about you and just want you to be happy. I hate that we have to do this and what it does to you, but I want to be there for you however I can…whatever you need."

She kissed him on the cheek before stepping back out of his arms and pulling back the bedspread. "Are you okay sleeping on the couch?"

He nodded. "Of course. I've been stuck with much worse. Anything is a step up from the forest floor. I don't know why I agree to go on that annual camping trip each year."

Regina laughed, happy to have a change in topic from Gold and that stress. "If you don't like camping, just tell John and Will that you can't go. They'll understand."

"I know, but the boys love it. I can put up with it for five days," he said. He then made a realization. "You know, that trip is coming up next month. I know you start filming soon, but you get a bit of a break around that time, yeah? Our place in Montreal will be empty, and it would give you a break from Gold. You could invite Emma to visit and have the place to yourselves for a bit."

Regina nodded as she considered it. "Hmm…that could work. I might take you up on that," she said as she grabbed an extra pair of pajamas out of her suitcase and went to knock on the bathroom door.

Inside the bathroom, Emma finished washing her face and started pacing as she brushed her teeth, still stunned by everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. Her trance was broken when she heard Regina's voice and a soft knock on the door. "Hey, Emma? It's me."

After hearing a mumbled "come in," Regina entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She found Emma wrapped in a towel and brushing her teeth, her discarded bikini hanging from the shower curtain rod. Regina realized she was staring, so she shook her head to snap out of it. "I grabbed something for you to wear, since I figured you wouldn't want to sleep in my bathing suit or your regular clothes."

Emma thanked her as she took the items, setting them down on the counter as she spit out the last of the toothpaste into the sink. Regina chuckled softly as she leaned back against the counter next to the sink and watched Emma. "Sorry…not my most attractive moment but I couldn't wait any longer," Emma said, using a towel to dab her face.

Regina smirked. "That's good, because I couldn't wait any longer to do this," she said, cupping Emma's jaw in her hand and giving her a slow, but chaste kiss. "Mmmm….minty," she said as she pulled back.

Emma smiled. "So…"

Regina interrupted her. "Look, Emma, the convention ends tomorrow and then I'm going back to Montréal for a bit and then Halifax to film, so I don't know what will happen when I do."

Emma tried to hide her disappointment and nodded her head. She knew this was the case, so she couldn't be surprised by it.

Regina continued. "But, I know that I want to see what could happen…I would like to continue getting to know you, assuming you want that, too," she said, searching Emma's eyes for any sign as to what she was feeling.

Regina got her answer. Emma pulled Regina to her and kissed her again, this time harder, turning them around so Regina was backed into the counter. Regina took the hint and hopped up on the ledge, her legs naturally opening to allow Emma to stand between them as she brought her hands down to run along the length of Regina's thighs. Emma broke the kiss a minute later, resting her forehead against Regina's as they caught their breath.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded against Regina. "Yeah…I'm just suddenly aware that I'm very naked under this towel and that your husband is still on the other side of the door."

Regina laughed as she rested her forehead on Emma's shoulder. "God, this is so fucked up."

Emma sighed as she took a step back, running her fingers through Regina's hair and lifted her head to look at her. "Yeah…but it is what it is."

"If this is too weird for you, I get it. I don't want to drag you into something that's so complicated…" Regina said as she slid off the edge of the counter.

Emma lightly grabbed Regina's wrists and looked her in the eye. "Regina, stop trying to talk me out of this. I get that it's complicated, but I understand why you have to live under Gold's carefully crafted story for the time being. Is it ideal? No, of course not. But, it's not going to deter me from wanting to get to know you better…the real you."

Regina smiled and leaned in, softly kissing Emma's cheek. "Good. I want that, too."

"And besides," Emma continued. "This is all a lot for me to process, too. I've never felt this pull toward anyone in my life, and I've never been involved with another woman, or ever thought I would be, so I have my own shit I'm going to need to work through. It's complicated all around, but I'm willing to take the chance, as long as you are."

Regina nodded. "Okay, so we'll take it slow and see what happens. If nothing else, I know I want you in my life in some way, even if being friends is all it can ever be."

"Agreed."

"Okay. Then I will leave you to it so you can finish getting ready for bed," Regina said, giving her one more quick kiss before slipping back out the door.

"Is everything okay?" Robin asked her when she came back out, grabbing her own pajamas off the chair where she left them a few mornings ago. She hastily discarded the chambray shirt and shorts, and then she threw the short satin nightgown on over her head before untying her bikini top and bottoms, pulling them off from underneath. She walked over to her suitcase and grabbed a clean pair of panties, pulling them on as she turned to face Robin. "Yes. I think so."

He looked at her skeptically. "You think so?"

"It's convoluted, absolutely. But, we want to see what happens," she said. A small smile graced his lips at her statement. "Is this really weird for you? I know our marriage isn't real, but this is the first time there's been someone else involved…at least in this way."

"Maybe a little bit, but Regina, I meant what I said earlier. I want you to be happy. You deserve to find someone who can love you in the way you need." She started to protest and interrupt him, but he stopped her. "I know, you've always said you don't need anyone in that way. And maybe you don't. But, I think you're doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't at least open yourself up to it. And, I'm willing to be here and support you while you try."

Before Regina had a chance to respond, the bathroom door opened and Emma came back into the room dressed in Regina's flannel pajama shorts and a tank top. Regina took a moment to appreciate seeing Emma in something she herself usually slept in. Regina quickly excused herself. "I'm going to go brush my teeth quickly. I'll be right back," she said to no one in particular.

When the bathroom door closed, Robin approached Emma, who was busying herself by gathering the few things she brought with her and placing them in a chair by the door so she wouldn't forget them in the morning. "I'm sorry if me being here is awkward for you," he said.

"Don't worry about it. I suppose I'll need to get used to it if I want to see where this could go."

Robin nodded. "And do you?" Emma looked puzzled, so he continued. "Do you want to see where this could go?"

"Well, I feel weird telling her husband this, but yeah, I do," Emma said, a small smile unconsciously forming on her lips.

"Good. So does she," Robin replied. "And I may be her husband legally and publicly, but you don't have to worry about me getting in your way. Think of me more as her best friend. From what I heard about you from Regina, think of me as her Killian."

Emma laughed. "Got it."

"I can tell you both feel strongly toward each other, and I want you two to figure out what that is. And for what it's worth, I'll do what I can to protect you both. I have every intention of fulfilling my end of the deal that I signed up for four years ago until Regina doesn't need that anymore," Robin said.

"Regina told me the story, but I have to ask…why did you agree to all of this?"

"She and I became friends, even though we were initially forced into it by Gold. But, our friendship was – well, is - real. And she bonded with my boys, Roland and Henry. They were heartbroken when their mother died, as was I, and they were looking for a mother figure. Regina naturally fit that role and wanted to be that for them, even if she didn't fit into the role of my wife. So, I mostly agreed because Roland and Henry loved her so much, and I couldn't imagine any other woman who would be a better to mom to them, even if she and I were to split up as soon as _Frozen Mirror_ came to an end. Plus, I knew it would help her. She was justifiably spooked by the stalker situation, and the lesbian rumors about her and Mal and her an Ingrid were getting out of control, so I wanted to help her."

"Plus, the publicity and extra funding for your restaurants," Emma quietly added.

Robin scoffed a bit. "Well, yes. But not really. By that point my first restaurant was thriving and I had enough money saved and a good relationship with the bank to secure a loan to open the second. Of course, her promotion of my establishments would help guarantee their success, but they were doing very well on their own merit. That wasn't a big factor in my decision to agree to this arrangement. But, I think Regina likes to think that it is, because it helps her feel like I'm getting a professional benefit from our relationship like she is. I know she feels guilty because she thinks she's keeping me from finding love again, so I let her think that I deeply value the business benefit."

Emma nodded her head, starting to finally understand the situation. She verbalized the other concern that had been running through her mind since Regina first told her about her false marriage. "So, you're not secretly in love with her, are you?"

Robin was firm. "No. Not at all. I love her, yes, but I'm not in love with her. I don't know if I could ever fall in love again, to be honest. Marian and I grew up together, were high school sweethearts, and even though we both told each other that we should find love again if something should happen to one of us, I don't know if I ever will. I know she wouldn't want me to be alone and she would want me to be happy, and I am. I have Regina in my life and always will now that she's adopted my boys, and I'm content with that, even though it's only platonic. I don't want it to be anything other than that with her. We are great as friends and co-parents, and adding love into the equation would only complicate things even more."

Emma chuckled. "Wow. You may be the most understanding man on the planet. If you keep saying things like that I might fall for you."

Just then, Regina walked out of the bathroom. "Under no circumstances will we ever have a three-way," she commented, making both Robin and Emma burst out laughing.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you as always for your feedback and reactions to the story! **  
**


	11. Chapter 11: The Last Day

**A/N:** Happy OUAT finale day! Here's to celebrating that it got picked up for S7 and hoping that the writers are able to pull of this reboot/reset thing. I'm certainly open to seeing how it plays out. I hope they do it well.

* * *

Emma woke up the next morning around 5am, noticing that the TV was playing infomercials softly. She vaguely remembered watching a crappy Lifetime made-for-TV movie the night before, so she reasoned that they must have fallen asleep before it ended. She sat up slightly and saw Robin passed out on the sofa, while Regina still appeared to be sound asleep next to her in the bed. She started to scoot toward the edge of the bed to get ready to leave, but Regina blindly grabbed for her arm when she felt the mattress shift. "It's early, go back to sleep," she heard Regina mumble. Emma gave in and laid back down, feeling Regina wrap an arm around her waist to pull her closer. Regina tugged a little harder, causing Emma to roll onto her back and then roll all the way over to face her. "Hi," Regina said in a hoarse whisper, barely opening her eyes. Regina's sleepy morning voice may have been Emma's new favorite sound.

"Hi," Emma smiled back, running her fingers softly up and down Regina's arm and watching goosebumps pop up in her fingers' wake. "I don't think I'll ever get used to sleeping next to you with your husband on the couch across from us," she whispered.

"Well, you won't have to. He won't be in the room in the future." Regina pulled Emma in for a quick kiss before nuzzling into her neck and falling back asleep.

Regina's phone alarm went off at 7:30, waking up the peculiar trio. She slid her finger across the device to silence it and tossed it back on the nightstand. When she moved back to her previous position, she saw that Emma had rolled over and was now facing the opposite wall. Regina threw her arm around Emma's waist and placed a soft kiss to the back of her neck, slowly trailing up toward her ear. Emma tried to fake sleep, but her soft hums and the smile she couldn't hold back gave her away. "It's time to wake up," Regina said huskily into Emma's ear, lightly grazing her earlobe with her teeth.

"You two are so fucking cute I can't stand it. I'm going to go get ready…I'll take my time so you have at least 15 minutes…" Robin commented, winking at his wife. He grabbed a change of clothes and headed toward the bathroom, barely ducking out of the way in time to avoid being hit with the pillow Regina threw at him as she flipped him off.

"Damn it. Now I don't have my pillow," Regina whined as she plopped back down on the mattress.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you threw it," Emma said, still half asleep.

"Or, we could share," Regina said, kissing Emma on her bare shoulder and running a hand down her side to lightly tap her on the ass. "Move over." Emma shifted to make room for Regina next to her on the pillow, but Regina rolled on top of her instead and placed a soft and slow kiss on her lips. "Good morning."

"Good morning, indeed," Emma giggled before kissing her again. Emma's hands wandered down Regina's back and under her short satin nightgown, coming to rest on her hips and pulling her closer. Regina's lips moved down Emma's neck, nibbling gently before focusing her energy on her pulse point. Emma tilted her head back to give her more access. "I'm not having sex with you when your husband is only a very thin door away."

Regina pulled back. "I know. I don't want to rush anything with you. And I know this is all new for you. Hell, it's been close to 15 years for me, so it's practically new for me, too."

Emma smirked. "Are you saying your lesbian virginity grew back?"

Regina laughed. "It may as well have," she said, bringing herself back down to kiss Emma again.

Emma grabbed hold of Regina's hips a little more firmly and without warning flipped them, rolling to the empty spot on the bed where Regina's pillow had been. Emma placed one more lingering kiss to Regina's lips before pressing herself up, supporting herself on her forearm next to Regina's shoulder. "You know, before Mary-Margaret so rudely interrupted us, there was something I thought I noticed when we were on the balcony last night that made me curious," Emma said, tracing the neckline of Regina's nightgown with her free hand, letting her eyes take in the sight of the woman beneath her.

"Is that so?" Regina smirked, relishing in the feel of Emma's fingers along her sternum.

"Mmhmm," Emma looked into Regina's eyes and saw a playful glimmer.

Regina quickly lifted her head to kiss Emma. "Well by all means…do you want to do a visual or physical inspection to confirm your theory?" Regina asked, settling back into the mattress and clasping her hands behind her head.

"I'm a dancer. I've always been more of a kinesthetic learner," she kissed Regina again and let her fingers slide under the satin material, grazing the small metal barbell she thought she had felt the previous night through the thin material of Regina's bikini top. Regina moaned as Emma brushed her thumb across it. "There it is," Emma smiled as she broke their kiss, slowly moving her thumb back and forth across the piece of jewelry and then gently cupping her breast. "Fuck, that's hot," she said as she watched Regina's reaction to her soft touch.

"Curiosity satisfied?" Regina asked breathlessly as she raised an eyebrow.

"For now….unless, is there anything else I should know about?" Emma asked, quickly glancing down Regina's body as she grinned.

Regina laughed. "I'm not quite that adventurous, dear," she said, kissing her again before deciding to get up and get ready for the day.

* * *

They heard a knock on the bathroom door and Robin poked his head out, covering his eyes with his hands. "Is it safe for me to come out?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes, dear."

He came back into the room to find both women fully-dressed. Emma had put on her denim shorts and tank top that she had worn the previous day, and Regina was wearing a t-shirt designed by one of her castmates for an anti-bullying campaign and a pair of trouser jeans. "Emma, will you be joining us for breakfast?" Robin asked her.

"I would love to, but I don't want to give Gold any more ammunition against any of us," she said, looking between Robin and Regina, who looked like she was about to protest. "And, my poor cat is probably starving since I wasn't planning on staying this long when I left yesterday."

Regina nodded and looked at Robin. "Robin, can you give us a minute?"

"Of course. I'll be outside…literally," he said as he walked out onto the balcony and closed the door.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" She asked Emma as she handed her the dress she borrowed the day before.

Emma started to tear up, but managed to suppress it. "I'm sure. I really should get going…"

"Of course. Do you have everything?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Actually, you're forgetting a few things. First, give me your phone." Emma stared at her, but entered the passcode to unlock it and handed it to her. Regina quickly typed something and handed it back. "My phone number. Now we can move beyond Snapchat."

Emma smiled at the kissing emoji Regina had put next to her name in the phone and quickly typed a message, causing Regina's phone to buzz on the dresser. "Now you have mine, too."

"Good. And the second thing you're forgetting…" Regina moved forward and gave her a deep, meaningful kiss. "Thank you for staying last night. God, I'm going to miss you. I wish you didn't have to leave."

"Me, too. But you have to go back to Montréal this afternoon anyway."

"I know." Regina said, nodding her head.

Emma pulled back from their embrace and adjusted her tote bag on her shoulder. "I hope the rest of today goes well and that Gold leaves you alone now that Robin's here. Have a safe trip back home." As Emma started to walk toward the door Regina grabbed her once more, kissing her fiercely and pushing her against the wall, their bodies pressed against each other. They slowly pulled away, both looking at the other through eyes blurred by tears. Emma opened the door and walked out without saying anything more, afraid that she wouldn't be able to without breaking down.

Regina softly closed the door, leaning her forehead against it as she heard Emma's footsteps get farther away. "Are you okay?" Robin asked as he came back in from the balcony, having witnessed most of the exchange while he was outside.

She sighed as she turned to look at him with tears in her eyes. "No, I'm not." He immediately rushed over to her and pulled her into his arms, hugging her as she started to cry.

* * *

Regina skipped breakfast at the hotel, and instead Robin ran out to get her a coffee and a bagel as she reapplied her makeup and pulled herself together after Emma left. "Thank you, Robin," she said as she sipped her coffee and walked toward the elevator to head down to her first event of the day. "I feel so stupid for reacting that way…it's only been three days but…"

"But, nothing, Regina. You don't have any reason to be embarrassed. You can't help the way you feel."

"I know. That's why I've worked so hard not to let myself feel anything like this for anyone for the past decade. I fucking hate Emma Swan for worming her way into my life."

"No, you don't," Robin said incredulously. He knew his wife's defense mechanisms when he saw them.

"No, I don't. But I do hate this."

"I know you do. But if we're being honest, I'm happy to see you get emotionally invested in someone. I think this will be good for you, as much as it may also suck at times," Robin said, wiping a stray tear from Regina's cheek. They both saw Mary-Margaret and David approach the elevator bank, so Regina instinctively wrapped her arm around Robin's waist to help give the appearance that they were, in fact, a happy couple. He quickly reciprocated and draped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer and placing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Good morning, guys!" Mary-Margaret said cheerfully, nodding at the couple.

"Are you as ready for this to be over as I am?" David asked Regina as he took his wife's hand.

"Oh God, yes," she rolled her eyes. "I'm exhausted."

"Where's Emma?" Mary-Margaret asked, looking around.

Regina took a deep breath to prevent herself from crying again. "She went back home already."

"Oh, that's too bad. I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night."

"What behavior?" David asked, looking at his wife.

Regina was relieved Mary-Margaret hadn't told David about what had occurred the night before. The last thing she needed was another person getting any ideas and starting to scrutinize everything she did.

"Oh, nothing. There was a misunderstanding and I was a little abrupt with her," Mary-Margaret said. "Regina, if you talk to her again, will you apologize for me?"

Regina nodded as the elevator arrived and they headed down to their show's green room at the convention center.

* * *

Back in Storybrooke, Emma tried to keep herself busy as soon as she stepped into her apartment. She could still smell the faint scent of Regina's perfume from the night she had stayed over, which wasn't helping her forget about the gorgeous brunette. As she made herself breakfast, she was battling more emotions than she knew she was capable of feeling, switching between excitement and happiness to immense sadness without any warning. She silently cursed herself for reacting that way and allowing herself to become so vulnerable with another person.

She heard her phone ring in her purse across the room, and she rushed over to answer it, hoping it would be Regina. She sighed when she saw the caller ID – of course it couldn't be Regina, who she knew would be busy with the Con all morning. "Hi Ruby," she said, as she accepted the incoming call.

"Hey! August and I are heading to the airport in a bit. Do you want to meet for coffee before we leave?"

Emma welcomed the distraction. "Yes, absolutely, as long as we can talk about anything other than _Frozen Mirror_ and the Con."

"Uh oh…did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened," Emma said. "I'm just exhausted. It's been a long week and I'm all Con-ed out at this point. I just want to go back to my normal routine today." Ruby agreed, so Emma picked up her keys and headed out to meet her friends, hoping she could keep her mind off the brunette she was missing for just a bit.

* * *

On stage at the closing full-cast panel, Regina glanced down at her watch, counting down the minutes until she would be done with New England Comic-Con 2017 and free to go home. Only 12 minutes to go.

"My question is for Regina Mills," a fan in the audience said into the microphone.

At the sound of her name, Regina's attention came back to the present, and she smiled at the young woman standing in the aisle. She wanted to give everyone her full attention, since the fans shelled out a lot of money to come to these events. She wanted to give them a great experience, even when her own head was a mess. "Of course. What's your question, dear?"

The girl took a breath, clearly a little nervous to be speaking in front of such a large group. "You and your husband Robin are so cute together. What's your secret to keeping your relationship so strong after all these years, and do you have any advice for long-distance couples?"

Regina smiled, maintaining her professional mask as she caught Gold smirking in the back of the room. She internally scolded him for his blatant audience plant…she couldn't believe he actually put someone up to this, but she would be an obedient little actor and play along. "Well, I don't know if I would call it a secret to success, nor would I say we're experts. It's only been about four years. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that we got married – these years have flown by and we couldn't be happier," she said, gesturing toward Robin in the front row and sending him a wink to help sell her act. "But, I would say remaining open and honest with each other at all times is important, especially given our schedules and how much time we spend apart, even though if we had our way we would be together every day. If we don't see each other, we at least talk on the phone or Facetime every day. When we are in the same city we like to set aside time just for us as a couple – we have regular date nights, even if it's just getting a private table in the back of his restaurant if he has to work late. We also love just hanging out with our family and friends – surrounding ourselves with the people we love and the people who love us." Regina finished her answer and looked back at Gold, who gave her a slow nod. She sat her microphone down and leaned back against her chair, waiting for the panel to end.

Mercifully, there were only two more questions and then Regina and the rest of the cast were dismissed from the panel. Robin stood up and walked over to the stairs next to the stage, taking her hand as she descended the steps and wrapping his arm around her as they walked toward the exit. "Nice work," he whispered into her ear, playing up the gesture to make it look more intimate than it was.

"Thanks. I can't believe he actually planted someone in the audience. But, I guess it worked. He seemed happy with my answer," she said in a low voice as she leaned into his embrace and waved to fans as they were escorted out of the room. As soon as they stepped out, they were greeted with more fans who were hoping to get one more glimpse of their favorite actors before the Con officially ended.

"Are you up for one more dramatic display?" He whispered to her as she stopped to pose for a few photographs with him, his arm still wrapped around her waist and tightening his hold on her slightly.

She didn't respond. Instead, she knew what he had in mind and she acted before he could. She pulled him in for a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her a few inches off the ground before setting her back down. She quickly kissed him once more before waving to fans and heading back into the green room. "Thank you for that. You seriously could have a career in acting if you wanted to," she said after he had closed the door behind him.

"Of course. Based on the cheers that elicited, I think you proved your point," he laughed.

"Well played, Regina," Gold said as he barged into the room. "You too, Robin."

"I told you I would deliver. Nice audience question, by the way."

"Well, hopefully that will put the most recent rumors to rest."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Are we done here? We have a plane to catch."

"You are free to go. I trust that Miss Swan won't be a problem in the future?"

Regina sighed. "She won't be a problem for you, Gold. As far as you or anyone else is concerned, she is just a new friend. Or am I not allowed to have female friends anymore?"

"You are allowed to have friends, Regina, just not ones who you blatantly eye-fuck in public."

Robin had heard enough and picked up Regina's suitcase and started wheeling it toward the door. "Let's go, _honey_ ," he said, emphasizing the term of endearment for Gold's benefit.

"Gladly," she said, opening the door for him and grabbing his hand as they went out into the hallway to head back through the crowds to the hotel for check-out.

* * *

That evening, Emma had given into temptation and scrolled through Instagram on her laptop, looking at the images in the "#ReginaMills" hashtag from the closing panel and scrolling through the show's convention hashtag. She came across hundreds of photos and videos of Regina and Robin together in the hallway of the convention center in various stages of making out, along with a clip from the panel when Regina answered the fan's question about her marriage. Emma tried to tell herself not to let it get to her – she knew Regina's situation. She had to hand it to Regina and Robin – they very convincing. As she clicked on another image, nearly identical to the 10 she had looked at before it, just from a slightly different angle, her phone dinged with a text. She studied the image on her laptop for a few more seconds before she reached for the phone. She assumed it was Ruby, whose flight had been delayed at the airport and had been whining about her boredom for the past hour, using Emma to keep her entertained.

Instead, Emma sat up straight when she saw that the text was from Regina: _Just landed in Montréal and heading home. How was the rest of your day? I wish you could have stayed through breakfast…_

Emma smiled and quickly replied: _I know, I do too. My day was relatively boring by comparison to the last few days. I met Ruby for coffee before she left for the airport, but otherwise just got some shit done around the apartment. I'm glad you're getting home at a decent hour. You must be exhausted._

The response from Regina was almost immediate: _I really am. These Cons are exhausting and I usually need at least 3 days to recover. But this time, it was so worth it ;)._ Before Emma could type a reply, another message came through: _Robin just pulled into the driveway. I'm going to drop off my things, see the boys, and then head to bed. Are you around tomorrow? We can Facetime if you want…_

Emma chuckled to herself: _Well, I do hear Facetime is a good way to keep up a long-distance relationship..._

Regina quickly wrote her back: _It looks like someone saw a video from the panel…please don't pay attention to anything you might see from today on the internet. You know it's not true._

Emma got the sense that Regina may be worried about her reaction, so she quickly assuaged her fears: _I did see a video, but I meant that as joke. I know you need to do what you need to do. I watch you kiss Graham and Daniel on TV every week. As far as I'm concerned, I'm treating anything I see with you and Robin the same way unless you tell me something differently. And to answer your earlier question, yes, I'd love to Facetime with you. I have the day off so I can be free whenever._

Her phone went silent for a few minutes before another notification appeared. _Sorry about that – I was attacked by two rambunctious boys who were excited to see me after almost 2 weeks away. I'll try to call you around 1:00._

Emma smiled. _I bet they were thrilled to have you home :). And 1:00 is perfect. Get some rest and sleep well. You deserve it._

Assuming she wouldn't be getting any more texts from Regina tonight, Emma set her phone down on the coffee table and closed her laptop, no longer interested in stalking Regina's mentions on social media. She quickly brushed her teeth and got ready for bed. When she grabbed her phone to shut it off for the night, she had one more text waiting for her: _I will, although I wish you were here. It was only two nights but I kind of got used to sleeping next to you…_

She smiled as she reread the text and sat on her bed, looking over at the empty space next to her and the pillowcase that was still crinkled from where Regina had slept two nights earlier. She turned off the lights and quickly sent a text: _Me, too. I miss you._

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, this concludes the main story for this fic. As promised, there will be an epilogue next Sunday, and maybe a few one-shot sequels since the epilogue will leave room for more storytelling. If I do, those will likely be posted after the epilogue in this fic, rather than as separate oneshots. Thank you for all your reviews, follows, and favorites on this story and my first foray into writing SQ fanfic. It's been fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it (and the epilogue that will be up soon). I'll be sad to see it end next weekend, but also relieved. A few guest reviews and PMs I've received this week have made some comments, so to be very, very clear, this story is 100% fictional from an idea I had. I have never met any of the OUAT actors nor have I been to any cons. If I for a second thought any of this might reflect any of the actors' real lives, I would not have written it in the first place.

I'm hoping to have a few new fics posted within a few weeks, so I hope you will join me for those, too :) All will be AU - the first one will have a Gone Girl/Girl on the Train sort of mystery/thriller vibe, and I may simultaneously post another modern-day SQ fic and a FTL AU one as well. So many ideas, so little time haha.


	12. Chapter 12: Epilogue

**A/N:** Well, here it is at long last...the epilogue, which is obviously all SQ fluff. As I mentioned before, there may be a few oneshots to come once I let this fic settle for a bit (which will be tacked on after the epilogue), but for now, this is complete. Thank you all for joining me on my first SQ fic writing adventure

* * *

 **EPILOGUE: THREE WEEKS LATER**

The next three weeks went by both extremely quickly and far too slowly for Regina and Emma. They continued to text frequently every day, including the occasional ridiculous Snapchat video when they were bored and had a few spare minutes, but their plans for daily Facetime sessions and actual phone calls quickly fell through. Both women were exceptionally busy, as Regina was back in Halifax filming the show's eighth season premiere and Emma was in the middle of teaching summer dance intensives throughout New England and preparing for her company's upcoming audition. After the positive review of her show a few weeks earlier, she and Killian had secured some new donors and now had the financial ability to expand by adding a few additional dancers to the company.

"I have a proposition for you, but it might be a little crazy, so just hear me out," Regina said to Emma on a Wednesday night when they finally had a chance to talk in real time. Emma had a rare night off from teaching and Regina was hanging out in her trailer, waiting for her hair and makeup call.

"I'm listening," Emma said as she poured herself a glass of Malbec and sat down on the couch in her living area. Despite the hot Maine summer and the desire to cool down with a cold beverage, she had become much more partial to red wine since her long weekend with Regina. She didn't even buy white wine varieties anymore, unless it happened to be prosecco. She smiled every time she did indulge in the bubbly drink, thinking back to that night on the balcony at Regina's hotel.

"Robin is going on his annual camping trip with his friends and our boys for about a week at the end of next month. It coincides with a break I have between filming our third and fourth episode of the season, so I'll be heading back to Montréal to get away from Halifax for a bit. I'll have the house to myself for five days, so if you want to, you could come visit."

"Are you serious?" Emma set the glass down on the coffee table so she wouldn't spill it.

"Yes. I know it may be a little fast since we haven't spent that much time together," Regina started, rambling a bit. "But, there would really be no pressure and no expectations. I would just like to see you again and see what happens."

Emma smiled. "Regina, I would love to come up."

"Really?" Regina let out a relieved sigh.

"Of course. I have a two-week break around that time as well, so I was hoping I might be able to see you for at least a little bit during that time."

"Okay, good. I'll get back to Montréal on the 18th, and Robin leaves on the 22nd. But, depending on your schedule you can come up before or after that. He won't care if you're here while he is."

"Okay…" Emma paused. "But, what about your kids? Won't that be weird if I'm there?"

Regina shook her head, even though Emma couldn't see her through the phone. "They won't mind. It's not like we've never had houseguests before. We'll just say you're a friend of ours, and they won't think anything of it. We have plenty of space."

"Okay, then. My schedule is clear after I'm done teaching on the 19th, so I'll check into flights and aim for getting there on the 20th or 21st. How long should I plan to stay? I don't' want to impose for too long."

"You won't be an imposition at all, Emma. Robin comes back the morning of the 27th, and I'll be around until the 31st. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like, until I go back." Regina glanced at the clock on her microwave and saw that she had to be in hair and makeup across the studio lot in five minutes. "I have to run and start getting ready to film, but let me know your flight information when you book it. I can pick you up from the airport."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Regina. I'm excited to see you."

"Me, too."

As soon as they hung up the phone, Emma started searching for flights.

* * *

When Emma woke up the next morning and checked her phone, she smiled when she saw she had several new text messages from Regina: _I'm so happy you'll be able to come visit,_ read the first one. The second one was a photo of Regina and Belle pretending to nap in their director's chairs on set: _So freaking tired. Whoever thought night shoots were a good idea needs to be killed._ She checked the timestamp on that one and chuckled when she realized it was sent a little after four in the morning. As she scrolled through her messages, another one came in: _Finally leaving. Thank God. I have two and a half days off, and I might spend them all in my bed._

Emma quickly wrote back: _You're just getting done now? It's almost 8:00. Go home and sleep!_ She then followed that up with another message: _By the way, I love waking up to messages from you._

As she waited for a reply, Emma started preparing her coffee. She heard the tell-tale new message notification on her phone: _Good :). I hoped you had your phone off so I wouldn't keep waking you up with those, but I was so bored and needed something to do. It took four hours to film 15-minutes' worth of action. It should be worth it, though. It's an awesome episode. What are you up to today?_

 _Not much. Going to book a flight to Montréal once I finish my coffee, and then I teach for two hours this morning. Other than that, I'm going to relish in a day of Netflix and bumming around on my couch. I've been traveling to teach for the past two weeks so I'm just happy to be home for a little while,_ Emma wrote back.

Regina's reply came almost immediately: _I know how that feels. My ride is here, so I'm going to take a much-needed nap on my way home. I can't wait to see you. I wish we didn't have to wait another six weeks :(._

Emma typed back: _I know, me too. I can't wait. Let me know if you're free to Facetime some during the next few days. I miss seeing your face, even if it's only through a screen._

 _I miss your face, too. I'd love that,_ Regina replied _. I'll text you to schedule something when I wake up._

Emma smiled. _Xoxo sleep well!_ She set her phone down and opened her laptop, quickly pulling up the ticket pages she had started browsing the night before. She settled on an early morning flight on the 21st. That way, she would be able to see Robin briefly, but not impose on him and the boys for more than one night before they left for their camping trip. She had to admit that she was excited by the idea of meeting Regina's sons, because they were clearly such an important part of her life, regardless of their biological origins. She also kind of wanted to see Robin again, just to make sure he really was okay with her encroaching on their lives like this. The Con was a unique situation, so Emma's own curiosity made her want to see what their daily lives were like in the real world. She quickly purchased the tickets, selecting a return flight six days after her arrival. She was excited, but also nervous, realizing that this trip would likely dictate whether there was any hope for pursuing something with Regina. She couldn't help but wonder whether they would still feel that same connection when they were in a more normal environment, or if it was just that the situation thrust it upon them.

* * *

Emma returned home early that afternoon after teaching. Walking into her loft, she tossed her keys in the bowl on her entry table and dropped her bag down on the floor, immediately heading over to the fridge to take out a bottle of water. She had forgotten to bring an extra one with her, and being in a studio with 20 sweaty dancing teenagers without air conditioning made her feel like she was dying.

She hastily consumed half the bottle before stopping to take a breath and check her phone. She knew she didn't have any new messages, because she would have seen them when she checked her phone on her walk up to her apartment a few minutes earlier. Nonetheless, she was secretly hoping that maybe Regina had sent something and she had just missed it. But, there was nothing. She slid her phone across the island as she picked up the bottle of water and sighed. She knew Regina was probably still asleep, as it had only been seven hours since their text conversation that morning and she clearly had been up all night working. She reasoned that Regina would probably sleep a few more hours and then text her.

Emma finished her bottle of water and tossed it in the recycling bin when she heard a knock on the door. She jumped, as she wasn't expecting any visitors. She walked over to the door and stood on the balls of her feet to look through the peephole. "Oh my God," she whispered as she opened the door. "Regina?"

Regina didn't respond. Instead, she pushed her way into the apartment and captured Emma's lips in her own as she pressed her against the closing door. "Hi," she finally said as they broke apart.

Emma grinned. "Oh my God. I can't believe you're here… What are you doing here?" She asked, still stunned and running her hands up and down Regina's arms. She was relishing the feel of Regina's body pressed against her own before she kissed her again.

"I couldn't wait six weeks to see you. You said you didn't have any plans for this afternoon, so I thought we could get a late lunch."

"You got on a plane and came all the way here from Nova Scotia to get lunch?" Emma asked as she skeptically raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, there aren't any direct flights, so it was a five and half hour ferry ride...but that is neither here nor there. The burgers in Halifax suck, and someone once told me that the best burgers on the Eastern Seaboard are at a little diner in Storybrooke. I had a craving. It seemed like a worthwhile adventure."

Emma pulled Regina in for hug, wrapping her arms tightly around her shoulders. "I'm so glad you did. Let me get changed quickly and we can go satisfy your craving."

Regina leaned into Emma and gave her another kiss. "Okay, but hurry up. I'm starving."

 **THE END**

 _(For now...)_

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 **A/N:** I know many of you requested that I have Regina leave Robin, but I didn't want the epilogue to go too far into the future and I didn't think it would be realistic for her to abandon that life after less than a month of knowing Emma (and really, only spending 3.5 days with her in-person). But, hopefully you see this as a "happy beginning" for her/on the road to a happy ending (at least I do). If I find the storylines to extend this fic into a sequel or more one shots, I definitely will, and they will likely look more like the ending you guys were hoping for :)

I can't thank you all enough for your response to this story. This story helped me find my love of writing again, so I appreciate you hanging on with me for the journey and for all your comments (both praise and constructive criticism - I appreciate it all). I write for myself as my creative outlet, but knowing that others are entertained by it, too, makes it even more enjoyable for me. I have posted the one or two chapters for two new fics, so I hope you'll check those out and see what you think. They are both very different from this one in genre, style, and even relationship dynamics between the ladies, so I'm not sure if they'll be your cup of tea, so to speak. But, I'd love your feedback. I have all of my fics roughly outlined so I know what will happen in each one, but I haven't written much beyond the first few chapters of each, so I'd love to know which ones you'd like me to continue/prioritize updating. I also have two more fics (one lighthearted, one more angsty) planned out, which I may start in a few weeks once my other two are progressing. So many ideas, so little time.


	13. Preview: A Montreal Excursion (sequel)

**A/N:** Exciting news, guys! You asked, so I obliged...I finally have started the sequel to this story :) I posted the first chapter on Wednesday and I've seen a few of you already follow/review it (thank you!), but I wanted to post a little teaser of it here ICYMI! It's called "A Montreal Excursion" and you can find it on my FF profile page. It covers the little vacation Emma takes to visit Regina in Montreal while Robin and the kids go on their annual camping trip.

Here's a little teaser!

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 **Chapter One - Arrivals**

 ** _Day One: Morning of August 21, 10:58am_**

Emma shifted in her seat with excitement as the plane began taxiing toward the gate. She took out her phone, eager to switch off 'airplane mode' so she could let Regina know she landed. Despite Emma's protests that she could easily call a cab, Regina had insisted that she would pick her up from the airport. She sent a quick text to the woman she had crossed country borders to visit and then looked out her window to see what little she could of Montréal from the plane's small window. She felt her phone vibrate in her hand and looked down at the message from Regina: _I'm glad you made it safely! I'll see you soon. Xoxo._ Emma tried to hide her blushing cheeks as the flight attendant collected the airline blanket from the man sleeping in the seat next to her.

Gathering her bags, Emma retied the red flannel shirt she had wrapped around her waist in case the plane was cold before making her way toward the door. She smiled politely at the cabin crew and thanked the pilots as she exited the aircraft and walked down the jetbridge toward the gate. Upon entering the airport, Emma barely registered the quiet "bonjour" from the gate agent as her eyes widened in surprise to see a petite brunette holding two Starbucks cups. "Miss me?" Regina asked with a smirk as she approached Emma, pulling the blonde out of the way of her fellow passengers who were still trying to deplane. Regina wrapped an arm around her. "Don't worry, I'll give you a proper welcome when we have some privacy," she whispered into Emma's ear as she hugged her.

Emma tried not to blush, conscious of the fact that they were standing in the middle of a crowded airport. "Yes of course I missed you, but what are you doing here? How are you here?" Emma was bewildered, not understanding how the brunette could be standing in front of her without having a ticket of her own. Gone were the days of picking your girlfriend up at the gate – baggage claim was as close as you could get.

"I was supposed to fly home yesterday morning, but we had to reshoot a few scenes before the break so I had to delay my flight. I ended up on a 5am flight this morning and figured it would be silly for me to go home and then turn right around to come back to get you, so I hung out here," Regina explained with a shrug. "Here, this is for you. Americano, extra shot," she said, handing Emma one of the coffee cups.

"You remembered," Emma smiled, thinking back to their first meeting at Starbucks when Regina had cut in front of Emma in line and offered to buy her a coffee of her choice.

"Of course I did…it's the same thing I always get," she teased, nudging the blonde with her shoulder.

...

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 **A/N:** Well, that's just the start. The rest is posted in the new story and it's going to be like 95% SQ fluff and 5% good old angst/drama to keep things interesting :) I hope you'll enjoy it!


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